A bigger budget, fair salaries for researchers and more money for countries with weaker research systems are on Hungary’s Framework Programme 9 wish list.

Hungary is calling for increased participation of research organisations and SMEs from countries with weaker research and development performance under the EU’s next research framework programme, FP9 – a move it says is needed to close the innovation gap.

A policy paper published this week by the Hungarian permanent representation at the EU says there should be ‘continued strengthening’ of teaming actions, which are part of a special funding line in Horizon 2020, to encourage rich and poor research groups to collaborate.

Many member states in central and eastern Europe have complained about the East-West funding gap under Horizon 2020.

These countries are usually at the bottom of every European league table on research and innovation, and receive a smaller share of EU funding.

Until the mid-term evaluation of Horizon 2020, grant holders from five countries received 59.4% of the overall funding, with those from Germany receiving 17%, while participants from Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta received only 0.1% each.

József Pálinkás, president of the Hungarian office for research, development and innovation, said that any FP9 funding policies “should contribute to strengthen the international competitiveness of Hungarian applicants and facilitate international research and innovation co-operation”.

In addition, there is a call for a ‘significant increase’ in the research and innovation budget, at both EU and national levels, and better co-ordination between EU and member states’ research and innovation policies.

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