SCIENTIFIC QUALITY AS THE MAIN SELECTION CRITERIA RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE The composition of research consortia should give higher priority Research excellence requires outstanding research infrastructures to the quality of partners and focus less on political priorities. This that not only under-pin research but also lead its development would help to improve the quality of results. Innovations are neces- and create an attractive climate for world-class researchers. sary along the whole value chain from fundamental science and new Data collection and input need to be harmonised and more ad- technologies to new services and policy tools. The fi rst two require a vanced IT tools are needed to connect databases. Furthermore, substantial research budget, while the latter two require completely novel research methodology including new mathematic and new thinking and new approaches to the fl ow of innovation. Assur- statistical tools will be needed and the establishment of relevant ing the highest possible quality of the research is the most effi cient facilities is required. There is encouraging progress for research basis. Guaranteeing high scientifi c qualifi cations of the coordinator infrastructure in Europe and the European Strategy Forum on and the PIs of all partners is also important in this context. Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) should be implemented. Securing further founding for the ESFRI project could be effectively linked BOTTOM-UP RESEARCH to the Structural Funds. In selecting problems and research areas it is important to keep in mind that innovative research and activity grow from the bottom OPEN ACCESS TO SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS up. High-level research should be promoted in all areas without A system of scientifi c publications with free access to all (pub- red tape that requires milestones and deliverables in advance. The lished) information is needed. Open access could be provided outcome of frontier research is inherently unknown. It should not be through institutional repositories by the authors or by directly deduced from the existence of separate excellence programmes, publishing in open-access journals with publishing costs paid by like ERC, that research targeted at the six societal challenges will the author’s institutions, their grants, or philanthropic support. not be frontier research. One option is to devote part of the funds for open (‘white’) calls for proposals within the framework of col- SIMPLIFICATION laborative research. Given the existence of ‘fully open’ calls under Horizon 2020 should strive towards less structure and bureau- ERC, closing the gap might be achieved through scaling, where cracy, more facilitation of meetings between peak performing some calls within each grand societal challenge are more specifi ed competences and entrepreneurs, as well as support without too and others are at a higher level of generalisation, allowing for not- much fi ltering. There is a need for an alternative approach to the yet-defi ned agendas to emerge and be pursued. Premature lock-in current suggested models, where the funding fi ltration mecha- can be avoided by supplementing this with more general, open, nism is overly diffi cult and structured to the point that too much and competitive calls covering a large part of the theme. funding goes to the development of yet more structures. The good ideas for innovation are consequently lost along the way. SUFFICIENT RESOURCES To allow for the best minds to participate in EU-funded research, Earmarking suffi cient resources to each societal challenge is simplifying the fi nancial and administrative rules is essential and necessary in order to provide signifi cant impact. Europe has all of could include e.g. a shorter time to contract, reduced administra- the competences necessary to deal with the scientifi c issues and tive burdens and the acceptance of external auditors’ approved signifi cant opportunities should be made available for all excellent methods of accountability. In view of the current volatile fi nancial researchers in Europe, while fostering creative competition. All the situation in the EU, it is also vital to have cost-effective research scientifi c areas in the challenges are of high importance and it is programmes that are adapted to a changing economic environ- essential that all fi elds are well-covered by Horizon 2020, not only ment and to avoid duplicate research. during the multiannual framework but also each year. The Horizon 2020 proposal will simplify the rules for participa- LONGER PROJECTS tion, including the abolition of time sheets for full-time staff. This If stakeholder involvement means that research projects become is an important issue; however it should be extended to part-time more complex, then larger projects need to be funded for longer workers. In health research a high proportion of researchers time periods, preferably with 5-7 year grants/contracts instead of work part time, as they are physicians and researchers at the three-year projects. This would reduce the amount of time scientists same time. The bureaucratic burden of the time sheets makes this spend on application writing. funding less attractive, and “best practice” for NIH, MRC, and Welcome Trust should be consulted. 84
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