Ask a selection of European scientists what they think about the way the European Union funds basic research and you'll get a pretty clear answer. It may be a frustrated snort or a bitter laugh, but you'll get the picture. Now, the European Commission has outlined plans for an overhaul of research funding, but scientists' hopefulness is tinged with skepticism. Many researchers say that the EU's current Framework Programme, which awards funds to researchers, is plagued by baffling mountains of paperwork, political and social agendas, and onerous reporting requirements.
In February, the European Life Scientist Organization launched a petition calling for change, which has so far garnered more than 4,000 signatures. The organization demanded a decrease in administrative burden, the adoption of border policies that would allow researchers to move within the EU, an increase in funding, and the establishment of an independent funding agency to foster investigator-driven basic research.
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