I Fought the Law, and the Law Published Proposals for Post-2014 Funding

Now, as if all the excitement over the publication of the Horizon 2020 proposals wasn't enough, news is coming through that the European Commission is busily rearranging deckchairs elsewhere within its future funding provision. The Directorates General for Justice, Home Affairs and Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion have got together to simplify the smorgasbord on offer. Less, in this case, may be more.

Currently DG Justice runs six - yes, six - programmes, covering various justice, rights and equality issues. These will be simplified to just two:

• Justice Programme, which aims to promote 'judicial co-operation in civil and criminal matters...where obstacles in cross-border judicial proceedings are eliminated.' The Programme will have €472m to play with, and hopes to tackle judicial cooperation, access to justice and reducing drug demand and supply.
• Rights & Citizenship Programme aims 'to contribute to the development of an area of freedom, security and justice, by promoting and supporting the effective implementation of a Europe of rights.' They have slightly less than Justice (€439m), and the hope is that this should be enough to do away with discrimination, basically.
  

Over in DG Home Affairs they're replacing their two current programmes with two more, 'same but different' programmes.

• The Asylum and Migration Fund does what it says on the tin, and deals with issues of migration. Its overall budget will be around €3.9bn.
• The Internal Security Fund will support the EU approach to law enforcement co-operation, including the management of the EU's external borders. It's budget will be around €4.65bn.
  

Finally, in DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, they're relabelling their three current programmes as a shiny new 'Programme for Social Change and Innovation (PSCI)'. I'm sure I don't need to remind you what the three current programmes are:

• The Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity (PROGRESS), which will get €574m;
• The European Employment Services (EURES), which will get €143.7m, and
• The European Progress Microfinance Facility, which will get €191.6m.
  

Thanks to UKRO for the headsup on this. Now as you were: back to the mince pies and mulled wine.

Further Changes to NERC Schemes

The Natural Environment Research Council has announced several changes to its responsive mode portfolio, which will take effect from 1 January.

Consortium Grants replaced by Large Grants
The Consortium Grant Responsive Mode scheme will be replaced by a new Large Grant scheme. The Large Grant scheme will continue to support adventurous, large-scale and complex research tackling big science questions, which cannot be addressed through other NERC funding opportunities. Key changes in comparison to the previous Consortium scheme are as follows:

• There will no longer be a requirement for a minimum of three eligible investigators based in separate participating organisations.
• A minimum funding level of £1·2m (100% FEC) will be introduced (the maximum funding level of £3·7m remains unchanged).
• There'll be an outline stage. This will be assess on 'potential excellence' and 'fit to scheme'.
• Next deadlines are: Outline Proposal Closing Date: 1 March 2012; Full Proposal Closing date: 15 November 2012 (tbc).
• The assessment process and documentation required for submitting Large Grant full proposals is unchanged from the Consortium scheme.

Standard Grants
A maximum funding level of £1·2m (100% FEC) will be introduced for Standard Grants. This change is to provide clear differentiation between the Standard Grant scheme and the new Large Grant scheme. The minimum funding level for Standard Grants is also amended to £65,000 (100% FEC).

New Investigator Grants
Following completion of the 2012 call (deadline 1 Feb), the New Investigator competition will cease to operate as a separate scheme and will be incorporated into the Standard Grant scheme. Eligibility will not change. New Investigator proposals will no longer be subject to any specific funding limits or restrictions. The ability to submit a New Investigator application via the Standard Grant call will be available from the December 2012 closing date onwards.

Urgency Grants
Some modifications will be made to clarify the remit of the scheme and circumstances that will be accepted as grounds for an Urgency application. The application and assessment process will also be updated.

There's no indication as to whether these changes are the result of the new moptop director,Duncan 'call me Rick' Wingham.