FP9 priorities

01 June 2017

Although the UK is preparing to leave the EU, we want to continue to bolster European science through our universities’ contributions to EU research. Above all, we would like to ensure the good relationship between the UK and the EU on science can be maintained and we hope the UK Government and the EU can reach an agreement which will allow the UK to continue to engage constructively with future research projects and programmes.

The Russell Group’s top five key priorities for the next Framework Programme, FP9, are:

Excellence – allocate funding on the basis of excellence to drive up the quality of the science base across the EU and to ensure the best return for public investment – particularly through the ERC

Supporting the entire research and innovation ecosystem – ensure a sustainable balance of funding between fundamental, curiosity-driven research and closer-to-market activities, with appropriate support across all discipline areas

Budget – increase the budget for cutting-edge research and innovation to support growth and jobs in the EU, focusing on grant funding for university research rather than loans

Simplification – streamline funding instruments and introduce a lighter audit burden 

Global reach – ensure FP9 is truly open to the world with more flexibility to work with excellent research partners across the globe to maximise the impact of research funding for wider benefit.

Find our more in our new briefing. 

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