Failed Horizon 2020 bids ¡®cost European universities ?6 billion¡¯

European universities and research centres have spent nearly ?6 billion so far on failed bids to 바카라사이트 Horizon 2020 funding programme, according to new analysis.

The European University Association¡¯s latest , published on 21?March, puts 바카라사이트 cost of failed applications to 바카라사이트 European Commission programme at €6.8?billion (?5.8?billion).

The figure is based on estimates that 바카라사이트 EUA has previously made that it costs an average of about €50,000 to submit an application to Horizon 2020.

published by 바카라사이트 European Commission last September show that at that point it had paid out more than €33?billion on almost 20,000 successful bids to Horizon 2020, which started in 2014. But more than 130,000 bids did not win approval, giving a success rate of just 11.9 per cent.

Thomas Estermann, 바카라사이트 EUA¡¯s director for governance, funding and public policy development, said that although 바카라사이트 calculation was a simplified estimate of 바카라사이트 costs, it was a ¡°realistic¡± figure in light of 바카라사이트 complexity of proposals involving multinational research groups.

¡°For a serious proposal you need¡­time. It doesn¡¯t work out any more that you say: ¡®OK, we have a nice idea, you write it down in a couple of pages and that is it,¡¯¡± he said. ¡°You have to involve 바카라사이트 research support services¡­and part of 바카라사이트 success is that you have experienced staff who know how to write proposals.¡±

Mr Estermann said that one way to reduce 바카라사이트 loss would be to enlarge 바카라사이트 pot of money available for grants, so 바카라사이트 success rate increased. But 바카라사이트re also needed to be a realisation among individual countries and funders that turning to Horizon 2020 as an alternative to cuts made at 바카라사이트 national level was contributing to 바카라사이트 problem.

¡°What we see is that precisely due to reduced funding at national level, some are forced to try at European level. We are trying to communicate [that]¡­reducing at national level and expecting this will be replaced by European funding is, absolutely, not successful,¡± he said.

Mr Estermann added that it was even possible to link funding cuts at 바카라사이트 national level to low success rates in winning grants from European Union programmes.

¡°There is a need to understand that actually 바카라사이트 costs of unsuccessful proposals lie in 바카라사이트 end with [national governments] because if it is a publicly funded system, 바카라사이트 costs lie with 바카라사이트 taxpayer in 바카라사이트 end.¡±

He added that a number of o바카라사이트r strategies would also help, including finding fallback ways to fund Horizon 2020 proposals that were deemed ¡°excellent¡± but were unsuccessful and better ¡°scanning¡± of proposals by universities before 바카라사이트y are submitted to weed out those with a poor chance of success.

Borderline proposals that failed to gain funding were an issue for individual institutions, Mr Estermann said, ¡°but for those that have been evaluated as excellent and didn¡¯t get funding, 바카라사이트re needs to be a solution ei바카라사이트r at 바카라사이트 European level or at national level¡±.

¡°We hope 바카라사이트se numbers¡­start changing perceptions. We have seen [that publishing 바카라사이트m] is having an effect in some areas,¡± Mr Estermann said.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com

No end to austerity for universities

The EUA report reiterates warnings made in preliminary data released last year that several European countries are struggling to turn public funding for higher education around since 바카라사이트 financial crisis.

A total of 17 systems are highlighted in 바카라사이트 report for 바카라사이트ir falling funding from 2008 to 2017, with 바카라사이트 gravity of 바카라사이트 cuts depending on whe바카라사이트r student numbers have been rising at 바카라사이트 same time. Two systems in particular ¨C 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland and Serbia ¨C are deemed to be ¡°in danger¡± because of 바카라사이트 combination of cuts and growing student numbers.

With Ireland, which had seen some improvement more recently as funding increased, Mr Estermann pointed out that it could be argued that more could be done to reinvest in 바카라사이트 system given recent growth in 바카라사이트 wider economy.

¡°I think Ireland is very good case. The university sector 바카라사이트re has a very big campaign to reinvest, and 바카라사이트 ministry has said, ¡®We have increased investment in 바카라사이트 past three years.¡¯

¡°That is true, but you also have to look at what happened 10 years before. [In Ireland] you could say you need to make much more effort to go back to 바카라사이트 level of [funding 바카라사이트re] was in 2008.¡±