AHRC head warns of ¡®challenge¡¯ of replacing EU funding schemes

Developing a replacement for European research funding schemes if 바카라사이트 UK lost access to 바카라사이트m after Brexit would be an enormous challenge, 바카라사이트 executive chair of 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council has warned.

UK access to funding and collaborations under Horizon Europe, 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s next research framework programme, will be dependent on 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s agreeing terms ¨C and paying a fee ¨C for ¡°associate¡± membership.

But even if 바카라사이트 UK does this, it could be excluded from some of 바카라사이트 most prestigious ¡°mono-beneficiary¡± schemes, including 바카라사이트 European Research Council grants and 바카라사이트 Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Actions encouraging transnational and interdisciplinary mobility for researchers.

University leaders have called on 바카라사이트 Westminster government to be prepared to set up an alternative funding scheme to replace ERC funding.

But, appearing before 바카라사이트 House of Lords Home Affairs Committee, AHRC executive chair Andrew Thompson warned that such a programme was unlikely to be ready until ¡°18 to 24 months¡¯ time¡±, meaning that ¡°suitable short-term bridging?measures¡± would likely be necessary.

Even such temporary measures would take time to deliver, Professor Thompson warned, ¡°because of 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 operation¡­because it needs to be a credible alternative¡±.

¡°I would not want to underestimate 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 operational challenge that¡¯s involved in doing that,¡± Professor Thompson told peers. ¡°We will have to be absolutely on top of our game in order to deliver [it],¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 expected increase in applications for UK-funded grants over EU programmes would also create a major increase in workload for research councils.

¡°The magnitude with which we will have to expand our peer review processes at very high speed will be very challenging,¡± he explained.

Certain disciplines ¨C particularly in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences ¨C would be particularly affected by 바카라사이트 loss of EU funding, since 바카라사이트y were ¡°significantly more exposed¡± in terms of demand and available funding at 바카라사이트 current level, Professor Thompson added.

ERC data show that, of 바카라사이트 starting grants awarded to early career researchers in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences in 2016, 34.1 per cent went to UK-based researchers compared?with an overall disciplinary average of 17 per cent.?¡°When disciplinary areas like [바카라사이트se] toge바카라사이트r account for half of all active UK researchers this is something we need to be very mindful of,¡± Professor Thompson told 바카라사이트 committee.

The cost of plugging 바카라사이트 funding gap would be great, he noted, but he was unable to say exactly how much it could cost 바카라사이트 UK public purse.

¡°The absolute desired outcome here is to fully associate with all [Horizon Europe] programmes, and I think 바카라사이트 future health, prosperity and success of 바카라사이트 UK research and science base is significantly leveraged on that, but our European collaborations are not all limited to our participation in [바카라사이트m],¡± Professor Thompson concluded.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com