In a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the League of European Research Universities – LERU – and the the Young European Research Universities Network – YERUN – outline their recommendations for securing and strengthening the EU’s research, innovation, and education funding. With five key points, the letter underscores the importance of a stable, cohesive funding approach that fosters collaboration across Europe:

LERU and YERUN begin by expressing concern over the omission of Horizon Europe’s successor, FP10, in recent EU policy statements. They acknowledge the push for a streamlined budget but stress the importance of preserving both the Framework Programme (FP) for Research & Innovation (R&I) and the Erasmus programme as unified, autonomous entities. These programmes are well-established and essential for fostering research, innovation, and international cooperation. Thus, they urge that the FP remain intact within the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to continue supporting cross-border collaboration and efficient funding access.

The letter calls for the EU to double its budget for research and innovation, echoing the recommendations made in recent reports by Mario Draghi and the High-Level Expert Group on FP10. LERU and YERUN advocate a budget of at least €200 billion for the next Framework Programme, stressing that this example set by the EU could bolster Europe’s research landscape. Additionally, they support increased funding for the European Research Council (ERC), provided that the Council’s autonomy and its bottom-up funding approach, which are key to its success, remain intact.

Another core message of the letter is the necessity of ring-fenced budgets for Horizon Europe and Erasmus+. The two networks argue that these budgets should be safeguarded from being redirected each year to cover new initiatives or unexpected costs, an issue that shifting to a policy-based budget structure alone would not fully resolve. To address potential funding demands, they recommend that the upcoming MFF includes at least one flexible budget line to manage unforeseen costs and support emerging priorities without compromising core programmes.

The letter also cautions against proposals to integrate FP10 into a broader European Competitiveness Fund, warning that this could impose restrictive, top-down directives on funding. They argue that such a shift could undermine undirected, exploratory research, which is vital to discovering solutions for issues as varied as health, biodiversity, and cultural heritage. Specifically, they highlight the importance of bottom-up programmes like the ERC, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and European Innovation Council in fostering innovation across diverse sectors. LERU and YERUN stress that FP10 should remain autonomous and ring-fenced to fully support EU competitiveness by fostering innovative, open-ended research.

Finally, LERU and YERUN clarify that they are not advocating for the status quo in EU research funding. They recognise the need for improvements and support the FP10 High-Level Expert Group’s proposal for experimenting with smaller-scale changes before any full-scale overhaul of the FP or MFF. They stress that this process should be collaborative, involving structured engagement with stakeholders, as also recommended by Mario Draghi’s report, to ensure that the needs and insights of funding beneficiaries are genuinely considered in future adaptations.

Europe’s future depends on a strong foundation in research, innovation, and education. Our joint letter with LERU outlines a clear, focused call for the EU to safeguard these areas by ensuring stable, ring-fenced funding and one strong, and autonomous Framework Programme. We believe that doubling the budget and preserving programmes like Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ are essential steps to keep Europe competitive, and ready to lead in global research and innovation.”

Silvia Gomez Recio – YERUN Secretary General

With this joint letter, LERU and YERUN call on Europe to reinforce its foundation in research and innovation, securing the resources necessary to meet today and tomorrow’s challenges.