In episode #160 of The Grant Podcast, I kick off the new Widening Series, focusing on the Widening Programme under Horizon Europe. Co-hosting this series is Thomas Brent, a former science policy journalist and Widening expert, now working at CERN. Together, we dive into why the Widening Programme exists, its objectives, and how it addresses the research and innovation gap between high-performing and low-performing EU countries. Our guest for this first episode is Ian Gauci Borda, Malta’s National Contact Point and Programme Committee member, who provides a comprehensive introduction to the programme’s structure, goals, and challenges.

This episode unpacks the origins of Widening, exploring how it was designed to increase participation from underrepresented EU countries in Horizon Europe while maintaining excellence standards. We also examine the political debate surrounding its future, including proposals to move Widening funding to the Cohesion Fund and the resistance from the EU-15 widening countries. Ian shares insights on the impact of Widening so far, key funding instruments like Teaming, Twinning, and ERA Chairs, and how some countries like Cyprus have successfully leveraged the programme to strengthen their research capacities.

Time codes:

00:01:41 Introduction

00:06:04 Fly in on the Widening Programme

00:09:56 Introduction to the Widening Programme

00:20:40 Structure of the Widening programme

00:29:28 Experiences in the programme

00:48:51 Perspectives for the programme