A deal struck last week during negotiations on the research programme for the next seven years in the European Union (EU) promises a significant change to the way in which institutions are reimbursed for the overhead costs of their research. The agreement for Horizon 2020 sweeps away the onerous red tape involved in the present diverse arrangements and replaces it with an across-the-board 25% reimbursement rate for all. Although the deal could be a boon for the many European universities with low overheads, which include heating, lighting, rent and facilities maintenance, it has disappointed some operators of large research facilities, mainly those in Western Europe. They warn that the simplified funding rules could harm top-ranking centres with high overheads because they will need reimbursement beyond 25% of the total direct costs.
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