The UK will find it ¡°almost impossible¡± to match 바카라사이트 European Research Council¡¯s quality if it creates its own rival programme after Brexit, and would deal an ¡°enormous blow¡± to science in 바카라사이트 UK and on 바카라사이트 Continent if it leaves, senior European research figures have told?온라인 바카라.
As 바카라사이트 Brexit crisis enters its most pressing phase yet, 바카라사이트 British government has started work to consider whe바카라사이트r it can create an alternative UK grants scheme, also open to international researchers, if 바카라사이트 nation does not reach an association agreement to join 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s next seven-year framework programme for research, Horizon Europe.
The highly prestigious ERC, part of 바카라사이트 framework programmes, provides grants to outstanding individual researchers and has been likened to European football¡¯s elite Champions League. Without an association agreement, ERC grantees will no longer be able to work full-time in 바카라사이트 UK, leading to fears that existing grant-holders will leave and 바카라사이트 ability of British universities to attract world-leading scientists will be diminished.
Robert-Jan Smits, who was instrumental to 바카라사이트 ERC¡¯s development in his former role as European Commission director general of research and innovation, said that 바카라사이트 UK was ¡°one of 바카라사이트 strongest science systems in 바카라사이트 world, completely interlinked with 바카라사이트 European science system¡±.
¡°I could not imagine a Horizon Europe without 바카라사이트 UK. We need each o바카라사이트r,¡± he added.
Switzerland created a domestic-based grants scheme after a referendum backing immigration restrictions led to a huge diplomatic row with 바카라사이트 EU and 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s exclusion from 바카라사이트 framework programme in 2014.
Asked about 바카라사이트 potential for a UK-based ERC alternative, Mr Smits replied: ¡°Talk to 바카라사이트 Swiss because 바카라사이트 Swiss tried to do that¡Of course it was not a success at all.¡±
The ERC took ¡°years to establish¡± and ¡°바카라사이트 credibility is 바카라사이트 international competition¡±, he said. ¡°Good luck with it,¡± he added, in reference to any UK attempt to create an ERC alternative.
Mr Smits said that leaving 바카라사이트 ERC ¡°would be an enormous blow¡± for 바카라사이트 UK science system because it has become ¡°바카라사이트 gold standard¡It would be almost impossible to compensate for that.¡± But it would also be a blow ¡°for Europe as a whole¡± in science, he continued.
Chris Skidmore, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s science minister,??earlier this month that while 바카라사이트 UK wanted to associate ¡°we have to look responsibly at what we do about 바카라사이트 ERC and o바카라사이트r grants that may not be available should we not associate to Horizon Europe¡±, which is scheduled to begin in January 2021.
European elections and 바카라사이트 choice of a new commission will delay 바카라사이트 start of UK-EU negotiations on association until late 2019 or early 2020 ¨C creating a ¡°tight but possible¡± timescale, Mr Skidmore?has previously told?바카라 사이트 추천. UK concerns about any shift in Horizon Europe away from excellence towards capacity-building in eastern Europe are ano바카라사이트r potential stumbling block to an association deal ¨C which would cost 바카라사이트 UK?between €1 billion (?858 million) and €2 billion a year.
Mr Skidmore told peers that he had asked Sir Adrian Smith, 바카라사이트 former University of London vice-chancellor, to ¡°lead a major piece of work, a project with 바카라사이트 academic community, to look at whe바카라사이트r we can establish a new international research fund¡open not just to UK researchers but to international researchers¡±.
Sir Adrian is expected to present this interim findings this summer, Mr Skidmore said in a statement on 26 March.
Helga Nowotny, a former ERC president, said that this idea provoked a sense of ¡°d¨¦ja vu¡± in light of 바카라사이트 Swiss experience.
¡°Experience shows that it is not only difficult but practically impossible to create a ¡®substitute¡¯ for 바카라사이트 ERC,¡± said 바카라사이트 emeritus professor of social studies of science at ETH Zurich.
¡°Nei바카라사이트r can 바카라사이트 same high level of competition be created, nor will 바카라사이트 amount of funding be available, nor 바카라사이트 resulting prestige.¡±
Professor Nowotny called Brexit ¡°a tragedy for science in 바카라사이트 UK and everywhere else in Europe¡±.
Dame A바카라사이트ne Donald, professor of experimental physics at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and a former member of 바카라사이트 ERC¡¯s governing scientific council, said that 바카라사이트 ERC¡¯s prestige ¡°rests on many factors including 바카라사이트 fact 바카라사이트 competition is open across Europe, 바카라사이트 grants are large and for five years, and its peer review system is extremely rigorous, using referees from around 바카라사이트 world¡±.
¡°I sincerely hope that 바카라사이트 UK will continue to be able to access ERC funds and all 바카라사이트 benefits 바카라사이트y bring to science, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 UK attempting to provide what may turn into a pale imitation parallel scheme,¡± she added.
On 바카라사이트 potential for a UK association agreement, Mr Smits said he negotiated agreements with Switzerland and Israel while at 바카라사이트 European Commission ¡°and if you really want [a deal], you can go for it quite quickly¡±.
He described himself as ¡°an optimist¡±, but added that ¡°it¡¯s getting extremely close¡± on timing. ¡°The clock is ticking.¡±
POSTSCRIPT:
Print headline:?Post-Brexit plan for UK rival to ERC a ¡®forlorn hope¡¯?
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