"In a Career column, Gerald Schweiger argues that one Horizon Europe funding call cost more in researcher and funder time than the total amount it awarded (see G. Schweiger Nature https://doi.org/qm5c; 2025)."
"Competing Interests T.S. is employed by the Research on Research Institute, which works closely with and is funded by a number of research funders. RoRI does not receive funding from the European Commission, the funder of the Horizon call that was the topic of the original article."
"Schweiger suggests that such schemes are a drain on the scientific ecosystem."
A Horizon Europe funding call required extensive applicant and funder labor whose aggregated hours exceeded the total monetary award. Time spent preparing proposals, conducting peer review and administering the call created substantial opportunity costs that removed researcher effort from actual research. The imbalance indicates inefficiencies in competitive grant processes and administrative systems. The time and resource drain reduces overall scientific productivity and strains funder capacity. Potential responses include simplifying application requirements, using shorter pre-proposals, funding based on track record, reimbursing applicant time and redirecting administrative effort toward maximizing research output.
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