The draft sets out priority areas for the next funding period, including a new stream for cross-border doctoral training. Officials say the final text will not differ substantially, though the budget envelope remains subject to negotiation among member states. University associations have three weeks to submit comments before the text goes to committee. Several UK-based research offices are already drafting responses through their EU liaison teams.

The society argues that single-year grant cycles discourage ambitious, longer-term projects in fields where results accumulate slowly. Its submission to the ongoing spending review proposes a pilot scheme offering five-year awards to a small number of research groups. Funders have previously resisted longer settlements, citing the need to respond flexibly to changing priorities. The society says it expects a response as part of the wider spending review outcome, due later this year.