Feedback loop

Connecting FP9 to UN goals could work wonders

Scientists may sneer at the idea that the Framework programme needs a “story”, but politicians know the deal. It is taxpayers’ money that is being spent—a total of €120 billion has been proposed for Framework 9—and the people who worked for the money want to know where it goes, and why.

Tying the Framework programme to the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of targets devised by the UN, is therefore a smart strategy. The SDGs come with their own story, one of betterment and unilateral wellbeing. But there is another, subtler boon to choosing this narrative for European research funding. It could work wonders for citizen engagement.