Mission control

Citizens need some ownership of FP9’s missions

The countdown is on for the European Commission to unveil its plan for Framework 9, the EU’s next flagship research funding programme. The Commission’s proposal, expected in late May or early June, will be followed by months of negotiation and in-depth analysis. But while the detail of the programme is likely to change before it begins in 2021, the Commission’s outline will provide the starting point for all deliberations.

One aspect of Framework 9 garnering significant attention is the choice of so-called missions—large-scale, multidisciplinary research efforts to tackle particular subjects, such as climate change or dementia. According to the Commission, EU citizens are meant to play a big role in these decisions.