Barbara WEITGRUBER

A budget of 100 billion euro has been proposed for the next EU Framework Programme Horizon Europe. In this context,negotiations have been launched under the Austrian EU Council Presidency. The added value of European research funding is crucial and cannot be measured in budgetary terms alone. It is indispensable for European scientific excellence, global networks, innovations for European competitiveness and Europe's citizens.

Barbara Weitgruber was founding staff member and Director of the Office for International Relations and lecturer at Karl-Franzens Universität Graz, Austria and then Director of the Office for European Educational Co-operation of the Austrian Academic Exchange Service in Vienna, Austria. In December 1994 she joined the Austrian Ministry in charge of higher education and research as Director and later became Deputy Director General for Higher Education and Director General for Scientific Research and International Relations. She also is a member in numerous committees, including the Task Force for Research, Technology and Innovation of the Austrian Federal Government and the European “Research Policy Group” and chairs the Austrian Fulbright Commission as well as the Scholarship Foundation of the Republic of Austria.