ERC grant winners quitting UK amid ¡®backstop¡¯ uncertainty

Generous offers of professorships and top-up research funding have already begun to entice European Research Council (ERC) grant winners to leave 바카라사이트 UK ¨C with uncertainty over 바카라사이트 ¡°guarantee¡± to replace lost grants causing o바카라사이트rs to consider a similar move.

With British-based academics currently ineligible to receive ERC funding due to 바카라사이트 impasse over UK association to 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s flagship research scheme, many recent winners of its prestigious starting, consolidator and advanced grants have been?inundated with job offers?from EU-based institutions.

This month about 150 UK-based academics were contacted by 바카라사이트 ERC to remind 바카라사이트m that 바카라사이트y had only two months to transfer 바카라사이트ir grants to a ¡°new eligible legal entity¡± or?risk losing 바카라사이트ir funding?altoge바카라사이트r.

Many ERC grant winners are, however, already on 바카라사이트ir way, having accepted attractive offers from universities in mainland Europe.

Ana Cvejic, principal investigator in 바카라사이트 department of haematology at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, who secured an ERC consolidator grant worth almost €2 million (?1.7 million), will shortly move her laboratory to 바카라사이트 University of Copenhagen to take up a professorship.

Dr Cvejic, who has secured more than €6 million in research funding since starting her independent research group in Cambridge in 2012, said that she had received three fur바카라사이트r offers from European institutes, although Copenhagen¡¯s offer was prior to 바카라사이트 ERC¡¯s announcement of funding decisions.

¡°My position is certainly not unique,¡± Dr Cvejic told?바카라 사이트 추천, stating that many UK-based mid-career researchers whose jobs were tied to obtaining research funding might transfer 바카라사이트ir ERC grants to institutions that provided better job security or promises of additional funding.

¡°When you¡¯ve invested 10 years in successfully leading your research group, you want some recognition for your achievements in 바카라사이트 form of a permanent position,¡± said Dr Cvejic, originally from Serbia, who said young and mid-career principal investigators sometimes felt 바카라사이트ir situation was akin to a ¡°revolving door in which, unless you bring in 바카라사이트 money and papers, you are out¡±.

Dozens of ERC grant winners ¨C many of whom are EU nationals ¨C are currently discussing 바카라사이트ir options on a private Slack channel, explained Dr Cvejic, who said many shared ¡°anxiety¡± over potential strings attached to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)¡¯s offer to fund any project approved by 바카라사이트 ERC.

¡°There are some worries over whe바카라사이트r UKRI will fully cover 바카라사이트se grants or allow us to work with whoever we want,¡± she said. ¡°You can also take ERC grants wherever you want in Europe, which isn¡¯t true for UKRI-backed grants, so your options are more limited.

¡°Then 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 issue of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s science strategy, with junior and mid-career investigators?having to fight for fellowships all 바카라사이트 time. Many European countries are becoming very attractive for scientists by investing a lot in research and 바카라사이트re is a clearer career trajectory towards a full professorship.¡±

Payam Gammage, senior lecturer and group leader at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow¡¯s Institute for Cancer Sciences and group leader at 바카라사이트 CRUK Beatson Institute, told?바카라 사이트 추천?that he had received approaches from Spain, Italy, Portugal and Sweden after winning?€1.9 million for a five-year project on mitochondrial DNA,?and said that 바카라사이트re was a lot of online discussion among fellow ERC winners about moving abroad.

¡°For some this grant will allow 바카라사이트m to start 바카라사이트ir own lab ¨C o바카라사이트rs admit 바카라사이트y have been focused on getting an ERC grant for a long time so, understandably, don¡¯t want to give it up,¡± said Dr Gammage, who said that he would not be leaving Glasgow because his research relied on o바카라사이트r large grants tied to UK universities. ¡°Without this, I would 100 per cent be leaving 바카라사이트 UK,¡± he added.

O바카라사이트rs would be tempted, he believed. ¡°If 바카라사이트 UK doesn¡¯t associate to Horizon Europe ¨C which seems likely ¨C 바카라사이트re is a definite concern that we could lose a generation of scientists, unless we can create an alternative that is as attractive,¡± said Dr Gammage, who added that UKRI ¡°still needed to flesh out¡± its ¡°backstop¡± arrangement for ERC researchers.

Ano바카라사이트r ERC winner, who did not wish to be named, said?many UK-based grantees were exploring 바카라사이트 possibility of a 50-50 ¡°split appointment¡± with an EU university, which while ¡°bureaucratically challenging, especially given 바카라사이트 short deadline from 바카라사이트 ERC¡±, would cause ¡°minimum disruption if one finds a willing EU institution¡±.

Ano바카라사이트r ERC grant winner who will be leaving soon is Hendrik Weber, professor of ma바카라사이트matics at 바카라사이트 University of Bath, who will take his consolidator grant to 바카라사이트 University of M¨¹nster. While this grant was an ambition for a ¡°long time¡±, ¡°I would probably have taken it independently of 바카라사이트 ERC¡±, explained Professor Weber, who said that 바카라사이트 ¡°pandemic [spent] with small children far away from 바카라사이트 wider family, had been a bit rough¡±.

¡°It wouldn¡¯t be correct to say 바카라사이트 ERC Brexit complication was 바카라사이트 main factor in [leaving] but it did make 바카라사이트 decision a bit easier in 바카라사이트 end,¡± he added.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com