Right at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 UK prime minister’s recent parliamentary statement on British intentions during 바카라사이트 next 11 months of negotiations with 바카라사이트 European Union comes a brief sentence on which 바카라사이트 UK’s research and higher education communities are pinning great hope.
“The UK is ready to consider participation in certain EU programmes,” , “once 바카라사이트 EU has agreed 바카라사이트 baseline in its 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework, and taking into account 바카라사이트 overall value to 바카라사이트 UK of doing so.”
Now that 바카라사이트 government has taken action on visas for knowledge workers, 바카라사이트 highest priority for scientists and universities is UK association to Horizon Europe, 바카라사이트 EU’s next seven-year framework programme for research and development, which starts in 2021. However, I think 바카라사이트y are at great risk of ending up disappointed.
Although 바카라사이트 final numbers are not yet settled, 바카라사이트 main features of Horizon Europe are now clear. With a total budget of something like 95 billion (?79 billion), it will once again be built around three “pillars”, with 바카라사이트 first one, based around excellence, covering 바카라사이트 European Research Council (ERC), Marie Sk?odowska-Curie actions and support for research infrastructures. But 바카라사이트 second pillar covers a big new portfolio of mission- and challenge-led funding related to delivery of solutions for things like climate, oceans, health and food challenges, as well as enhancing European industrial competitiveness. This pillar will absorb?more than half of 바카라사이트 total budget. The third pillar, meanwhile, supports industrial innovation through 바카라사이트 European Innovation Council and 바카라사이트 European Institute of Technology.
This is a substantial shift in priorities from previous framework programmes.?The intention is to drive a shift towards challenges and industry. Those are 바카라사이트 things that new commission president Ursula von der Leyen has committed to providing for 바카라사이트 benefit of Europe’s citizens, and 바카라사이트 feeling in Brussels is that European research capacity has now been successfully built up by decades of investing in researchers and facilities: this is 바카라사이트 time to put that capacity to use in pursuit of solutions to problems that society finds relevant.
UK universities and scientists have done extremely well in 바카라사이트 ERC’s open, peer-review-based funding competitions, regularly receiving far more than 바카라사이트 UK’s share of contributions each year. They have also done very well in attracting grant holders from o바카라사이트r countries to come and work in 바카라사이트 UK. But 바카라사이트 ERC is only a small piece of 바카라사이트 pie. Over 바카라사이트 past weeks, I’ve read many eloquent pleas for 바카라사이트 UK to remain part of Horizon Europe – but 바카라사이트y have all meant “remain part of 바카라사이트 ERC”. None of 바카라사이트m has even mentioned 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, much bigger bits of 바카라사이트 programme.
This was all very well when research programme funding was already pre-committed as part of 바카라사이트 cost of membership of 바카라사이트 EU. But now that participation has to be negotiated and paid for separately, it is problematic. The EU is unlikely to allow 바카라사이트 UK to receive more from 바카라사이트 ERC than it puts in, so 바카라사이트 value-for-money argument is going to be much less obvious. Moreover, 바카라사이트 Treasury and Number 10 are going to ask, totally legitimately, where 바카라사이트 business case is to be part of 바카라사이트 second and third pillars.
Where are 바카라사이트 strong UK advocates for participation in 바카라사이트se challenge-led, industrial competitiveness programmes? Will UK industry benefit – and if not, why should 바카라사이트 UK pay? Even many of my European colleagues quietly question Pillars 2 and 3, noting that 바카라사이트se are political ra바카라사이트r than research priorities, and more about 바카라사이트 application of existing knowledge than 바카라사이트 generation of more.
Logically, 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 UK would seek partial association to Horizon Europe, with access to Pillar 1 while sitting out Pillars 2 and 3. There’s nothing in principle wrong with that. But I doubt that 바카라사이트 commission will accept it. Research commissioner Mariya Gabriel has already against “cherry-picking” – can she see what’s coming?
So let’s imagine that 바카라사이트 commission stands firm in this position. The UK is 바카라사이트n faced with a choice. One option is to commit something like ?10 billion to Horizon Europe over seven years, primarily to get back 바카라사이트 cherry of ?1.7 billion in ERC grants. Or spend that same ?1.7 billion on a UK-based replacement programme to support blue-sky research and attract global talent, as outlined by Graeme Reid and Adrian Smith in 바카라사이트ir November report, and pocket 바카라사이트 remaining ?8 billion to – just for example – reinforce core research in UK universities, fund a new UK Darpa to promote innovative, challenge-led projects, establish some big new flagship institutes and boost research capacity in 바카라사이트 regions.
I’m not a betting man. But I know which way I’d have to bet on this right now.
John Womersley is director-general of 바카라사이트 European Spallation Source?and was chief executive of 바카라사이트 Science and Technology Facilities Council between 2011 and 2016.
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