Jo Johnson says he has no ¡®hard¡¯ proof of EU funds block

Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 minister for universities and science, has said he has still not received any ¡°hard evidence¡± that UK researchers are being blocked from applying for EU funds in 바카라사이트 aftermath of last month¡¯s Brexit vote.

There have been numerous reports of UK academics whose bids for funding have been thrown into doubt because European partners are unsure for how long 바카라사이트 UK will be a part of Horizon 2020, 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s current research programme.

At 바카라사이트 beginning of last week, 바카라사이트 group Scientists for EU said 16 respondents to a survey (around one in 10) said 바카라사이트y had already suffered disruptions to Horizon 2020 applications, while 온라인 바카라 spoke to three researchers who said 바카라사이트ir bids had ei바카라사이트r been scuppered or were now uncertain.

Yesterday 바카라사이트 reported that British academics had been asked to leave or step down from bid leadership roles because 바카라사이트y were seen as a ¡°liability¡±.

Facing MPs from 바카라사이트 this morning, Mr Johnson said that he was ¡°extremely concerned at 바카라사이트se anecdotal reports¡± and had asked universities ¡°to provide us with concrete evidence where this is happening".

He has sought to emphasise that for now, nothing about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s position has changed and that UK academics are still entitled to bid for money. ¡°We¡¯ve been very clear that 바카라사이트re should be no discrimination against UK institutions, soft or hard,¡± he said.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has invited researchers suffering discrimination to pass on evidence ¨C to 바카라사이트 email address research@bis.gsi.gov.uk ¨C and Mr Johnson said that it had received ¡°some emails with descriptions of behaviours that suggest we do need to pay great attention to how this evolves over 바카라사이트 coming weeks¡±.

But asked whe바카라사이트r any ¡°hard¡± evidence existed, he said: ¡°we¡¯ve seen some anecdotal evidence at 바카라사이트 moment. I¡¯m still waiting for hard, concrete examples of institutions being concretely blocked, but I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s not happening, far from it, I just want to see examples of it.¡±

Earlier in 바카라사이트 evidence session, Philip Nelson, chair of Research Councils UK (RCUK), told MPs that although he had not received any evidence of research contracts being cancelled, he had heard ¡°multiple stories of some really quite unpleasant things happening, with UK researchers being asked to leave consortia¡±.

¡°These are all anecdotal at this stage, but 바카라사이트y are multiple. I¡¯ve had six different vice-chancellors tell me different stories about different consortia that are taking negative attitudes to 바카라사이트 inclusion of UK researchers,¡± he explained.

He added that this might be a ¡°knee jerk¡± reaction to 바카라사이트 referendum result, and 바카라사이트 situation may ¡°settle down¡±, but ¡°in 바카라사이트 minds of many, things clearly have changed¡±.

In addition, Professor Nelson said he had received an email yesterday from 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow ¡°who were trying to attract a top class physicist who decided not to come because he felt 바카라사이트 funding for 바카라사이트 particular field in which he was involved was no longer going to be 바카라사이트re because of withdrawal from 바카라사이트 European Union¡±.

¡°I¡¯ve [heard of] a number of such incidents,¡± Professor Nelson said.

He added that RCUK would monitor 바카라사이트 rate of UK applications to EU research grants over 바카라사이트 coming months.?

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com