Horizon programme for researchers launched

 The HUF 5 billion (EUR 13.3m) provided by the government as pre-financing for Horizon research projects is now available to all universities involved, a state secretary of the culture and innovation ministry said on Thursday, after consulting researchers involved in the Horizon programmes.

“At the end of last year, based on discriminative decisions taken in Brussels, accusations were made against the system of Hungarian universities and research that are not true,” Balázs Hankó said, adding that negotiations with the European Commission were ongoing.

Hankó said Hungary’s government stands by Hungarian researchers and Hungarian students, which was why it had made available as of today the funding of 5 billion forints to Hungarian researchers involved in Horizon programmes as well as for all other direct European Union research funding.

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The government’s immediate intervention was required because without it the universities concerned would not be able to stay in the projects as the deadline for several commitments expires in May, Hankó added.

Researchers from the University of Óbuda, the University of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Debrecen and Semmelweis University attended the meeting.

Source: MTI