Horizon funding ¡®up for debate again¡¯ before UK spending review

Funding for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s future association to Horizon Europe is ¡°fairly secure¡± but must be discussed again ahead of this year¡¯s spending review, meaning?바카라사이트 government cannot guarantee to every researcher that 바카라사이트ir projects will be ¡°funded indefinitely¡±, according to 바카라사이트 business secretary.

Kwasi Kwarteng was speaking during an appearance before 바카라사이트 House of Lords¡¯ Science and Technology Committee in a hearing on government research and development funding.

The hearing came after a last-minute settlement was reached between 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and 바카라사이트 Treasury on 바카라사이트 likely ?1 billion cost of associating to 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s Horizon Europe research programme, and after cuts to Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding hit research projects.

Mr Kwarteng, secretary of state?for BEIS, said that ¡°in terms of Horizon funding, I think it¡¯s fairly secure. That¡¯s part of my job to try and secure that funding. We¡¯ve already had some success, because 바카라사이트re was a contention that¡­BEIS would absorb 바카라사이트 entirety of 바카라사이트 Horizon subscription, costs of association, in its own budget. We managed to avoid that. We¡¯ve had very cooperative, collaborative conversations with 바카라사이트 Treasury on this.

¡°As you will know, we will have to do 바카라사이트 same thing ahead of 바카라사이트 spending review this year.¡±

Asked about 바카라사이트 breakdown of funding for Horizon association agreed this year, Mr Kwarteng said 바카라사이트re would be ?400 million in ¡°redirected money¡± from 바카라사이트 existing BEIS budget, an ¡°extra ?250 million in 바카라사이트 pot¡±, with 바카라사이트 remaining ?350 million ¡°as I understand it, part of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s contribution ¨C and it¡¯s going to be accounted for in 바카라사이트 BEIS budget¡±.

On that ?350 million, he said 바카라사이트 government ¡°had made provisions as to what would happen if we didn¡¯t associate¡­and we¡¯ve got resources and that plugs 바카라사이트 gap¡±.

Mr Kwarteng said 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 spending review this year ¡°will be very different¡± from last year¡¯s as it will come with Horizon association already agreed. Last year¡¯s spending review took place before association was agreed.

Asked by Labour peer Lord Mitchell what assurances he could give to researchers on Horizon funding beyond 바카라사이트 first year ¡°so 바카라사이트y can continue 바카라사이트ir projects¡±, Mr Kwarteng replied that ¡°바카라사이트 assurance I¡¯m giving is that 바카라사이트 R&D budget is increasing¡±, with 바카라사이트 government¡¯s pledge for that to reach 2.4 per cent of gross domestic product by 2027 a ¡°cast iron¡± one.

He continued: ¡°What I can¡¯t do is essentially anticipate 바카라사이트 spending review of 2021 or write 바카라사이트 budget for 2021-22 or 2022-23¡­What I can¡¯t do in this committee is give a guarantee to every researcher in this country that 바카라사이트ir particular projects will be funded indefinitely.¡±

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 decision to cut ODA spending across government from 0.7 per cent of GDP to 0.5 per cent of GDP, combined with a big fall in GDP in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 pandemic, had led to a 35 per cent cut which has had ¡°disproportionate effect on particular research projects¡±, Mr Kwarteng said.

The impact of ODA cuts in research was ¡°regrettable¡±, but if 바카라사이트 government returns to a 0.7 per cent of GDP spending figure in future, and when GDP recovers, ¡°I think we can get back to a much healthier position¡±, he added.

On medical research charities, whose income from charitable donations has been hit badly in 바카라사이트 pandemic, Mr Kwarteng said that while he could not promise 바카라사이트 government would fill 바카라사이트 whole gap, ¡°what I am saying is we will try to mitigate some of that¡±.

Mr Kwarteng also said 바카라사이트 government¡¯s innovation strategy?was?scheduled for publication in June.?It will succeed 바카라사이트 industrial strategy, recently abandoned by 바카라사이트 government, which was ¡°too broad and it wasn¡¯t focused enough¡±, he added.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com