• Email Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X 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 (seeG. • Schweiger Nature https://doi.org/qm5c; 2025). • Schweiger suggests that such schemes are a drain on the scientific ecosystem. • Access options Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription 27,99 €/ 30 days cancel any time Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access 185,98 € per year only 3,65 € per issue Rent or buy this article Prices vary by article type from$1.95 to$39.95 Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Nature650, 792 (2026) doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00498-9 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.

Article Summaries:

    • CORRESPONDENCE The funding system needs fixing - but it’s not a ‘waste of time and money’ Access options Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription 27,99 € / 30 days cancel any time Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access 185,98 € per year only 3,65 € per issue Rent or buy this article Prices vary by article type from$1.95 to$39.95 Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Nature 650, 792 (2026) doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00498-9 Competing Interests T.S. i

Sources: