Ahead of the start of Horizon 2020, the new EU research and innovation programme, the European Commission has today launched a new call for independent experts. Experts are needed to evaluate proposals for EU funding and for other activities such as monitoring, programme evaluation and policy development.
Interested candidates are invited to file their application online as soon as possible in preparation for the first project proposal evaluations, which will start in 2014.
European Research, Innovation and Science Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said: “We need the very best experts from research, industry and elsewhere to make sure that only the very best and most innovative projects are funded. This call is part of the Commission’s commitment to draw on the widest possible pool of talent and experience for Horizon 2020.”
In addition to researchers and academics, the European Commission is aiming to substantially increase the number of specialists from the commercial and business communities. Horizon 2020 covers a whole range of activities in the fields of science and technology, innovation, social sciences and humanities, ethics, gender, communication, project management and more. This call is open to those of any nationality with a high level of expertise in the relevant fields of research and innovation.
The objective is to ensure that EU grants for research are awarded only to the best research and innovation proposals. With approximately 100 published calls and 40,000 proposals expected per year, and the need to support projects throughout their lifecycle from research to innovation, the quest for excellence remains the top priority of Horizon 2020.
Independent experts who registered under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development are invited to declare their interest in being considered for Horizon 2020 assignments and update their area of expertise in line with the new set of Horizon 2020 specialist fields.
The experts’ work will be different from and complementary to the tasks of the Horizon 2020 Advisory Groups, who are instead responsible for high-quality advice to the European Commission when preparing the Horizon 2020 work programmes.
The call for expression of interest will remain open for the lifetime of Horizon 2020. The support services (FAQ as well as the Research Enquiry Service for general enquiries and the IT helpdesk for technical matters) are accessible from the online registration platform. Further details on the type of expertise sought are set out in the Participant Portal.
Background
Horizon 2020, the EU’s next programme for research and innovation, will run from 2014 to 2020 with a budget of nearly €80 billion (current prices – adjusted for inflation). It replaces the Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7), which ran from 2007 to 2013 with a budget of around €55 billion.
The Horizon 2020 Programme aims to foster ideas, growth and jobs for Europe’s future. It breaks from the past by bringing together all existing support for research and innovation, including the innovation-related activities of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme and the activities of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), into one single funding programme.
