Simplifying the implementation of competitive research funding Xavier INGLEBERT

1. Simplifying the implementation of competitive research funding Xavier INGLEBERT CNRS Deputy Director General – Chief Resources Officer European Parliament 1st September 2010

2. CNRS, a major player in Europe Budget in 2009: 3 122 Million € (of which 45 from the European Commission) Pluri- and Multidisciplinary 10 institutes covering all fields of Research Stronglinks with Universities: Around 1200 laboratories (of which 80% Joint Research Units) Historical involvement in European Research and statistics: CNRS founding member of ESF, EUROHORCs, CLORA, IGLO ... The ERA is the heart of the scientific activity: Among the 27.000 yearly publications, 32% come from collaborations within ERA (co-publications) 1 714 permanent ‘foreign’ researchers; 70% come from Europe CNRS is the first participant in FPs: 884 projects in FP6; more than 550 in FP7 Laboratories involved in all programmes and initiatives (MCA, ERC, JTIs, Art. 185…)

3. CNRS’ point of view within the ERA Role of CNRS : Support to Researchers :offering best scientific and administrative environment Act on very different broad communities and different types of actors of the ERA :quality collaborative research with European and international, private and public partners Transparent link with the European Commission :doing best in managing high number of agreements, FPs and others Example : set up of ad hoc mechanism to follow up the European contracts in each regional administration : “cellules contrats”

4. First axis for simplification : clear and stable rules Stable rules: Beneficiaries need to feel legally secure when participating to FPs (and any other research programme); Clear rules: Terminology and definitions have to be unambiguous in all cases (eligible costs, lump sums, etc.)  In order to improve the situation, we need a common “dictionary” Risks: Clear rules prevent from: A system of controls uncommon to researchers, not linked to any scientific advancement, but limited to conformity of a certain understanding of administrative paperwork Audits where errors and fraud are considered alike

5. Second axis for simplification : Accepting own usual practices Improvements have been made since FP6 But getting own practices or specificities approved by the Commission remains difficult and long Accepting own usual practices would significantly reduce error rates and paperwork will prevent : the Commission from writing rules of management that are sometimes in contradiction with beneficiaries internal rules the Commission from trying to enforce interpretations of rules without taking into account the difficulty / cost for the beneficiary

6. The proposals of the Parliament Proposals we fully support: Accepting own practices of the Beneficiaries Evaluating the opportunity of introducing “project specific lumps sums” Suppression of timesheets: there are other means to follow-up the work of Researchers than time recording Reduce the number of combinations of applicable rates The principle of a mediator when conflicting interpretations appear

7. What we would like to see introduced Strongly insist on the need for a clear terminology and unambiguous common understanding the link with the revision of the EU financial regulation is the key of the success Acknowledging the complexity of the programmes when reviewing them or during audits Précising the process of audits and evaluating the costs of control in the light of the benefit

8. Conclusion Risk for Europe: have the best researchers becoming wary of involvement with FPs for fear of administrative hurdles and future controls ; But : Research organisations share the same objectives and ambition towards the ERA than the European institutions We are confident this simplification process will lead to improvements supported widely ; solutions are coming closer, based on mutual trust

9. Last word “Construire pour l’Europe des programmes de recherche et rassembler l’Europe des chercheurs sont deux démarches qui doivent aller de pair en parfaite harmonie” “Building research programmes for Europe and bringing European researchers together must go hand in hand in perfect harmony” Hubert Curien, French physicist and a key figure in European science politics, as the DG of CNRS (1969), the President of CERN (1994–1996), the first chairman of the European Space Agency (ESA) (1981–1984), and second President of the Academia Europæa and a President of Fondation de France ; Minister of Research of France from 1984 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1993.

10. Thank you! Xavier INGLEBERT CNRS Deputy Director General – Chief Resources Officer European Parliament 1st September 2010