Bridging the Gap: Alliance4Life’s Vision for an Impactful FP10

Alliance4Life (A4L), an international community that aims to increase the competitiveness and innovativeness of health research in our region and of which the Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences is a member, published a position paper on the 10th Research Framework Programme (FP10). Here is the introduction: Achievements and Progress of the Region, followed by a link to the full document including recommendations and proposed actions.

Over the past decade, the Widening Countries have substantially progressed in integrating into the European Research and Innovation (R&I) ecosystem. Since the 7th Framework Programme, these countries have steadily increased both their participation and financial return within EU R&I funding schemes. Between FP7 and Horizon Europe, their share of participations among EU27 has grown from 16.6% to 20.2%, and their share of the Union’s financial return has grown from 10.2% to 14.4%. Moreover, success rates are now approaching the EU average (20.0% vs. 20.7%), signalling a narrowing performance gap. These developments testify to the transformative potential of sustained support and targeted capacity-building efforts at the EU level.

At the same time, however, not all Widening Countries have developed at the same pace. While the overall divide between Widening and non-Widening countries has decreased, a new internal gap has emerged within the Widening group itself—some countries and institutions have made significant leaps forward, while others have seen only incremental progress. Some countries and institutions—such as those in Slovenia, Estonia, and the Czech Republic—have achieved strong performance and greater integration, while others continue to struggle with low submission rates and limited access to coordinator roles in Horizon projects. This growing heterogeneity highlights the urgent need for more differentiated, evidence-based, and context-sensitive support mechanisms in FP10.

Alliance4Life—a strategic partnership of twelve leading institutions from eleven Widening Countries—has been at the forefront of this transformation. By fostering long-term collaboration, knowledge exchange, and mutual learning, Alliance4Life has played a pivotal role in enhancing research excellence and managerial capacity across Central and Eastern Europe. Through active engagement with instruments such as Teaming, Twinning, and ERA Chairs, Alliance4Life members have implemented over 40 Widening projects and initiated numerous follow-up proposals, creating new centres of excellence, strengthening R&I ecosystems, and stimulating institutional change.

Increased mobility of researchers, improved grant-writing skills, and strengthened international partnerships are among the tangible outcomes of these initiatives. Most importantly, these efforts have empowered institutions to attract talent, build competitive research teams, and contribute to EU priorities in life sciences and biomedicine.

While many university alliances and large research-performing organisations have published their recommendations for FP10, calling for increased budgets and reduced administrative burdens, which we fully endorse, this position paper brings a complementary and region-specific perspective. Our recommendations are grounded in the practical experience of institutions from Widening Countries. They focus on the specific challenges we know well and propose actionable solutions to make the Framework Programme more inclusive, balanced, and ultimately more competitive.

Despite significant progress, structural barriers persist. As we look ahead to FP10, it is vital that the EU continues to invest in both excellence and equity, recognising the potential of high-performing institutions in Widening Countries and supporting the systemic reforms needed to unlock lasting impact. Alliance4Life offers this position paper as a contribution to shaping a future Framework Programme that is both competitive and inclusive, and that fully harnesses the scientific potential of all its Member States.

You can read the full document here.

Text: Alliance4Life