Horizon Europe (2021-2027)
The EC research and innovation program for the period 2021-2027
The Horizon Europe program has a budget of 95.5 billion euros, becoming the largest R &D&I funding program to date in the European Union. The programme is structured in three basic pillars.
The following infographics contribute to an overview of the Horizon Europe program:
- Pillar 1: Excellent science: It includes the ERC, Maria Slodovska Curie and Research Infrastructures program.
- Pillar 2: The Clusters: This pillar finances collaborative research around six thematic clusters.
- Inside Pillar 2 there is a new instrument, the Missions. They are a set of measures to achieve bold, inspirational and measurable goals within a set timeframe. There are 5 main missions as part of Horizon.
- Pillar 3: Innovative Europe: The Horizon Europe program introduces the European Innovation Council to support innovations that represent disruptive advances.
- Open Science: Mandatory open access to open science publications and principles that apply to the entire program.
- Partnerships: objective-driven and more ambitious partnerships with industry in support of EU policy objectives.
Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is an approach that anticipates and evaluates the possible implications and expectations of society regarding research and innovation, with the aim of promoting inclusive and sustainable research and innovation. The different EC research programs framework have encouraged the inclusion of this perspective in research projects.
RRI involves social actors (researchers, citizens, politicians, companies and other organizations) working together throughout the research process to align research and innovation with the needs, values and expectations of society.
The UAB is committed to develope in a comprehensive manner, the different thematic aspects of RRI that have promoted the research programs of the EC (FP7, H2020, Horizon Europe).
Open Access, Open Data and Open Science
Open Access means access to peer-reviewed scientific publications for everyone, without any financial cost or user restrictions, while Open Data refers to the same free availability of data.
Article 29 AGA (Annotated Model Grant Agreement – EC) sets out the conditions and obligations for Open Access and Open Data for projects funded under the H2020 program (2014-2020). In the Horizon Europe program (2021-2027), it is Article 17 of the General Model Grant Agreement that determines the Open Science obligations for beneficiaries.
Open Science is an approach to the scientific process that focuses on spreading knowledge as soon as it is available, using digital and collaborative technology.
More information at Open Science at UAB
UAB Digital Repository of Documents (commonly known as DDD)
This is the tool by which the scientific, teaching and institutional production of the university is collected, managed, disseminated and preserved, while hosting digital documents that form part of the collections of the UAB libraries or that complete them. It displays an organized, open access and interoperable collection. Depositing peer-reviewed articles in the UAB DDD is one of the ways to comply with the Open Access mandate of H2020 and Horizon Europe.
Data Management Plan (DMP)
The Data Management Plan (DMP) is a formal document that describes the data that is generated or collected throughout the life of a project and summarizes the strategies for managing this data during the project’s execution and also after it has ended. The DMP tool allows you to work at no cost, collaboratively and online to create these plans for different funding agencies or groups.
In the Horizon Europe program, it is mandatory to include a Data Management Plan for each project.
Horizon Europe sets gender equality as a cross-cutting principle and aims to eliminate gender inequality and intersecting socio-economic inequalities through research and innovation systems, even addressing unconscious bias and systemic structural barriers.
Applications for Horizon Europe funding from public bodies, research organisations and higher education institutions will only be considered if they have a gender equality plan (GEP)
At UAB the IV Pla d'Acció per a la Igualtat de Gènere, developed by the Observatory for Equality, will remain in force until 2023. The plan is an instrument to enact policies for gender equality and LGTBI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) at the university level.
Ethical aspects
In all EU-funded research activities, the ethical aspects are a part that must be integrated into research at all stages. To achieve these objectives, the UAB has an Ethics Commission in Animal and Human Experimentation (CEEAH).
Code of good practice in research
The Code of Good Research Practices is a collective instrument of self-regulation and constitutes a set of guidelines for action, recommendations and commitments on the development of research activities.
The consolidation of the European Research Area (ERA) involves the development of a unified research space: open to the world and based on an internal market in which researchers, scientific knowledge and technologies circulate freely. The ERA must also serve to attract the most highly talented, so that they can pursue their research careers in Europe. More information.
In this context, the EURAXESS initiative was launched (EURAXESS | [europa.eu]). One of the pillars of EURURAXESS is to improve the recruitment and working conditions of researchers from all over Europe and to help enhance the attractiveness of the research career. Job offers financed with H2020 and HEU projects must be published on the EURAXESS portal.
The UAB has the HR Excellence in Research seal, a distinction from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation that recognizes efforts to improve the recruitment and rights of researchers.