Maria da Graça Carvalho participated no painel discussion with European policy-makers on the future of the EU research funding. Ms carvalho shared with participants her vision of future EU research funding as rapporteur for the specific programme implementing Horizon 2020.
This is the final event of a major EUA project entitled EUIMA European Universities Implementing their Modernisation Agenda, a coordination action funded under the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission.
The project addresses two key elements of the modernisation agenda for European universities: the sustainability of university funding, financial management and development of full costing (EUIMA-Full Costing) and the development of appropriate measurement tools and indicators for the assessment of university-based research and collaborative research with external partners reflecting the diversity of university missions (EUIMA-Collaborative Research). EUA has undertaken extensive research in these areas and collected evidence and views on this from more than 1000 university practitioners that have participated in the project events and consultation activities.
The project has demonstrated the strategic importance of research collaborations with university external partners in terms of excellence, competitiveness and sustainability of research funding.
The modalities of research funding have a direct impact on universities' collaborative research with industry as well as the implementation of full costing. EUA has been strongly involved in the discussion on future EU research funding and the "simplification" debate.
This final event of the EUIMA project presented its main findings and recommendations and connected them in a timely manner to the current European policy process on the development of Horizon 2020 and its Rules of Participation as well as the European Research Area (ERA) policy framework.