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This study presents an analysis of 2 216 European higher education institutions (HEIs) from 27 countries. It investigates determinants of participation in the European Union's Framework Programme for research and innovation (EU FP), Horizon 2020, and empirically assesses how influential network position affects the chances of applying for and receiving funding in collaborative projects. Having a strong, influential network position in collaborative EU research is found to affect participation in H2020 greatlysuggesting 'closed clubs', to the detriment of less influential HEIs. Greater access to resources and capabilities significantly strengthens the effect of network position on EU FP participation.

This article investigates decisions taken at the project level in establishing and managing collaborative ICT projects under the European Framework Programme Horizon 2020. Based on interviews with project coordinators from European research organizations, we offer a detailed examination of how projects are built and managed, and how decisions influence the formation of collaborative networks. Projects are typically set up in three stages. In the first, a smaller group that has worked together before decides on the main idea. This leads in the second stage to a gradual invitation of partners to satisfy professional and formal demands, which also defines the structure of the project. If funded, more detailed decisions on ownership and interaction are taken in the third stage. Coordinators are under pressure from the regulatory control of the EU Commission, which can explain the strong preference for well-known partners, but the formal monitoring also provides tools for project managers.