Brexit doubts eased as U.K. commits to underwrite R&D grants

LONDON – The U.K. government has moved to end uncertainty about access to European research and development grants following the vote to leave the EU, saying it will underwrite payments on projects that continue beyond the date at which the country finally pulls out.

Companies and universities should continue to bid for competitive EU funds while the U.K. remains an EU member, the government said.

The U.K. is a net beneficiary of the current €78 billion (US$87.1 billion) Horizon 2020 research program, winning 15.5 percent of grants awarded to date, while contributing 12 percent of the funds.

The chancellor, Philip Hammond, said the government wants to provide “stability and certainty” in the period leading up to the U.K.’s departure from the EU.

As yet, it is not known when that will happen. The U.K. must give formal notice of its intention to leave, triggering article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon treaty. There will then be up to two years to negotiate exit terms. Theresa May, who became prime minister in the change of government prompted by the Brexit vote, has said article 50 will not be triggered until 2017.

Soon after the referendum result was announced on June 24 reports began to circulate of discrimination against U.K. researchers applying for EU grants, and of scientists being deterred from moving to take up posts at U.K. universities. (See BioWorld Today, July 6, 2016.)

U.K. business secretary Greg Clark said the government is committed to the science and research base. “By underwriting the significant Horizon 2020 grants we are showing the extent of our commitment,” he said.

The guarantees extend to infrastructure projects supported by EU regional development funds including a new science park at Reading University and a health and life sciences incubator at the national Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down.

The Royal Society has argued for the value of any grant to be underwritten for the full award period, including any awards made during the upcoming Brexit negotiations and its president Venki Ramakrishnan welcomed the decision.

“This measure removes the uncertainty in the funding status of U.K.-based researchers, Ramakrishnan said. “[That] will ensure that EU colleagues can confidently collaborate with U.K.-based researchers, who can also participate fully in EU research programs.”

Anne Glover, former EU chief science advisor and now dean for Europe at Aberdeen University said the statement “delivers some certainty” up to the point the U.K. leaves the EU.

“It may provide confidence amongst our EU collaborators that our involvement in proposals will not compromise the success of applications, and that is welcome,” Glover said.

The EU commissioner for research, Carlos Moedas, told scientists from all over Europe at the Euroscience conference held in Manchester last month that nothing changes until exit negotiations are complete. “Horizon 2020 projects will continue to be evaluated based on merit and not on nationality,” Moedas said. “I urge the European scientific community to continue to choose their project partners on the basis of excellence.”

IT’S MINIMAL ASSURANCE

The pressure group Scientists for EU (Sfeu), set up to campaign for the U.K. to remain in Europe, said the government’s announcement that it will underwrite EU grants is, “A confirmation of the bare essentials, but nothing more.”

There is no boost for science, but rather the most minimal assurance possible. “As we leave the EU, the U.K. of course needs to honor science contracts signed whilst the country was in the team,” said Rob Davidson, co-founder of Sfeu.

However, a number of other issues, including immigration policy, shared EU/U.K. science infrastructure and regulatory frameworks, and the U.K.’s future position in EU research programs, remain to be dealt with, Davidson said.

Restricting the free movement of labor to the U.K. from the other 27 EU member states, a key element of the Vote Leave referendum campaign, could have a significant impact on the U.K.’s universities, research institutes and life sciences companies, which employ a large number of foreign nationals.

A notable case in point is the Francis Crick Institute, due to open later this year. On Monday (Aug. 15) the builders handed over the keys to the £650 million (US$838.5 million) building, which will house the largest biomedical research laboratory in Europe under one roof.

The institute’s director, Paul Nurse is moving into the new building in central London this week. The other 1,250 scientists who will join him subsequently are from 70 different countries, with more than 60 percent originating from outside the U.K. and over 40 percent from EU member states other than the U.K.

In a statement on the Brexit negotiations earlier this month, the Crick set down three criteria, saying that to pursue its ‘discovery without boundaries’ strategy it must be able to recruit and retain the very best scientists whatever country they come from; movement from country to country must be simple; and the negotiations must seek to ensure the best possible access to EU research funding.

When fully operational the Crick will have an annual budget of £130 million. While this will come from a number of sources including the charities Cancer Research U.K. and the Wellcome Trust, and from the publicly-funded Medical Research Council, many of its scientists currently hold EU grants, and these form an important part of the Crick’s portfolio.

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