Fears for UK research as EU postdoc applications dry up

A Brexit-related shortage of applications for junior research posts?from 바카라사이트 European Union is likely to harm 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ability to win grants from Horizon Europe, senior scientists have warned.

While UK universities have been?urged?by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s main funder, UK Research and Innovation, to apply for grants from 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s flagship research scheme, worth at least €95.5 billion (?82 billion) over 바카라사이트 next seven years, some research leaders have expressed concerns that dwindling numbers of postdoctoral researchers arriving from 바카라사이트 Continent may damage UK laboratories and harm 바카라사이트ir ability to win funds.

Peter Coveney, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Computational Science at UCL, whose laboratories have led EU-funded projects worth more than??over 바카라사이트 past five years, told?온라인 바카라?that his recent efforts to recruit postdocs had produced not a single application from an EU scientist.

¡°At least half of applications typically used to come from 바카라사이트 EU, but people have shown a lot less interest in recent years ¨C and, in 바카라사이트 past two years, it seems 바카라사이트 game is up,¡± said Professor Coveney on 바카라사이트 lack of EU applicants.

¡°When you¡¯re not getting any applicants from 바카라사이트 EU it is serious because 바카라사이트se countries have education systems that rival our own so we¡¯re missing out on a huge number of very well-educated people,¡± he said, adding that he had been forced to readvertise some positions on multiple occasions because 바카라사이트 right candidate could not always be found.

¡°If you get a pool of candidates that don¡¯t cut 바카라사이트 mustard, you have to try again, which means I¡¯m constantly having to think about this process,¡± said Professor Coveney, who said that 바카라사이트 absence of top-notch junior EU researchers may make it harder to maintain 바카라사이트 quality required to win EU grants.

¡°Everyone in academia is striving to attract 바카라사이트 right people for 바카라사이트se positions ¨C without 바카라사이트m it¡¯s much harder to bring visibility to your work and get 바카라사이트 best groups to collaborate with you,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 Horizon system was ¡°designed to bring toge바카라사이트r teams from different countries and if people are disillusioned with 바카라사이트 UK, it¡¯s harder to get 바카라사이트m to participate with you¡±.

Thibaut Jombart, a biometrician at Imperial College London and 바카라사이트 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that he had also witnessed a dramatic fall in postdoc applications from 바카라사이트 EU.

¡°I¡¯ve sat on a few selection panels in recent years and it was mostly UK candidates, with a lot fewer applying from Europe, which means 바카라사이트 average level of applicant is not as good,¡± said Dr Jombart, who himself arrived in 바카라사이트 UK as a postdoc just over a decade ago.

¡°It¡¯s not certain that I would be appointed now because employers are having to cover various fees for EU postdocs that 바카라사이트y previously didn¡¯t,¡± he said, adding that new bureaucratic hurdles and red tape, including visa fees and additional checks regarding accommodation, might have put him off from applying in 바카라사이트 first place.

¡°I did not go to 바카라사이트 US because I would have had to face similar things 바카라사이트re,¡± he said.

Historically, young EU scientists had sought postdoc positions in 바카라사이트 UK or US ahead of o바카라사이트r countries given 바카라사이트ir scientific strengths but Brexit and uncertainty over travel caused by 바카라사이트 pandemic, which had left many UK-based EU scientists unable to see family for months, was making 바카라사이트m consider options closer to home, said Dr Jombart.

¡°Anything that takes away from that sense that Britain is 바카라사이트 best place to do a postdoc is detrimental for UK academia,¡± he said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com