The Guild calls for introduction of Scale-Up Research Actions (SUPRA) in FP10

As part its input to FP10 discussions, The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities has released a position paper calling for the introduction of Scale-Up Research Actions (SUPRA) in FP10 to support curiosity-driven collaborative frontier research and strengthen Europe's scientific leadership. The association argues that FP10 must also provide opportunities for Europe's leading researchers to scale up collaboration across disciplines and institutions to pursue ambitious, high-risk, high-reward research, introducing the new concept of Scale-Up Research Actions (SUPRA).

Instead of a "European Excellence Initiative", "Scale-Up Research Actions (SUPRA)" would address a gap in the current EU research funding landscape by supporting long-term curiosity-driven frontier research collaborations defined by researchers themselves and geared towards the broad objectives of the policy windows and Society component of FP10's Pillar II. SUPRA would not provide dedicated funding to institutions. Instead, it would invest in collaboration among outstanding researchers to advance scientific leadership in areas critical to Europe's competitiveness, resilience and prosperity. The Guild argues that establishing SUPRA in FP10 would help complete the EU R&I funding landscape and reinforce Europe's position as a global leader in R&I.

The Guild recommends that SUPRA would:

1. Scale up transnational collaboration of outstanding researchers – hence its inclusion into FP10 Pillar II
2. Emphasise dynamic openness towards emerging excellent research teams and international partners to prevent closed clubs
3. Fund collaborative, curiosity-driven, high-risk, high-reward frontier research collaboration within, and, where relevant, across FP10 policy windows
4. Provide long-term and stable funding, at an estimated €20 million for five years (with a possible two-year extension) necessary to empower outstanding researchers to collaborate at the knowledge frontier
5. Select and award predominantly based on research excellence.

For more information:

The Guild - press release

'Completing the EU R&I funding landscape: The Guild’s recommendations for scaling up collaborative frontier research in FP10'