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EPSO was kindly invited by Manuel Heitor, chair of the High-level Expert Group on Horizon Europe and FP10, to answer four questions to provide input to the discussion of the HLG.
EPSO highlights Food and Nutritional Security as a major challenge to be tackled together with Climate change, biodiversity, human health.
EPSO suggests strengthening the European Research Council (ERC) and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
Most important innovations which should be considered in FP10 are advised by EPSO as follows:
- Add Research Actions in pillar 2: To overcome the gap of collaborative basic research and complete the research and innovation cycle in pillar 2, we recommend making collaborative basic research an intrinsic component of R&I Actions and introducing Research Actions focussed on basic and applied research. In this way an upward spiral would be created that is adding new knowledge in each round, elevating the innovation to the next higher level – a step change in the Framework Programme.
- Strategic investment in crucial R&I areas – e.g. Critical mass support for Plant biology and crop improvement / adaptation to address the challenges above – include all approaches: comprehensive approaches from all branches of basic plant biology, ranging from molecular and genomic to cellular, developmental, physiological, and systems, to deliver novel crop varieties (crop improvement and plant breeding) adapted to climate change and contributing to Food and Nutritional Security, environmental sustainability, biodiversity (natural and cultivated) and human health. This will enable the shift from reliance on ‘elite varieties under optimal conditions’ to ‘nutritious and resilient varieties under a range of constraints’ (environment, climate, input, processing, consumer demands).
- Policy makers should define the goals, but not the pathways how to reach these to truly enable innovation.
- Add funds from other programmes for actions transferred from these – there is only one research programme.
- Increase trust in and flexibility for beneficiaries.
- Further simplify proposal / project / reporting to no longer need consultancies to succeed.
EPSO looks forward to further discuss and help implement these recommendations with colleagues from the High-Level Group, the Member State ministries and funders, the European Parliament and the European Commission.
Click here to read: Full EPSO – HE FP10 – Answers to questions by M Heitor – HLG, 17.7.2024
Contacts:
Karin Metzlaff, EPSO Executive Director, BE
Odd Arne Rognli, NMBU, NO & EPSO President
Alan Schulman, LUKE, Univ. Helsinki, & former EPSO President
Funding opportunities for Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) at PAEPARD Blog covering areas such as: 1. Agriculture; 2. Agribusiness; 3. Bio-diversity, environment, climate change; 4. Fellowships/scholarships/grants; 5. Awards.
TempAg: a new international research network to facilitate cross-country collaboration on sustainable agriculture in the world’s temperate regions. The foresight workshop 5-7.10.2016 identified emerging priorities and research challenges for policy & industry (blog posts by Global Food Security and GPC)
Working Group Meeting ‘Towards longer term partnerships of scientists from Europe and Developing Countries’, 16.10.2014, Meeting report.
Towards longer term partnerships of scientists from Europe and Developing Countries for sustainable intensification of agriculture, statement.