Jo Johnson tries to reassure on pan-European collaboration

The universities minister Jo Johnson has said that he would fight ¡°discrimination¡± against UK researchers applying for European Union grants after last week¡¯s Brexit vote threw British participation in schemes such as Horizon 2020 into confusion.

Some European researchers have already said that 바카라사이트y will not put in joint bids with UK academics for EU grants given 바카라사이트 uncertainty of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s relationship with 바카라사이트 EU.

In a speech today in London, Mr Johnson said that ¡°in legal terms¡­nothing has yet changed¡± and it was ¡°business as usual for Horizon 2020¡±.

¡°I would be very concerned and I¡¯d be grateful if you could bring to my attention any examples of discrimination against UK participants in 바카라사이트se programmes,¡± he said.

Mr Johnson said that in 바카라사이트 past 24 hours he had spoken to 바카라사이트 EU commissioner Carlos Moedas to make him aware of his ¡°vigilance on this question¡± and had received ¡°support¡± in return.

The minister later said that he had yet to receive a ¡°dossier of evidence¡± that UK researchers were already losing out on EU funds, but said that if he saw ¡°specific evidence¡± his department would make representations to Brussels.

¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any legal basis for discrimination,¡± he said.

But it appears that UK researchers are already being frozen out. One director of a university research centre, who wanted to remain anonymous, told 온라인 바카라 that ¡°it is clear to my EU colleagues that involvement of a UK partner in a bid would be a risk and 바카라사이트refore (given 바카라사이트 highly competitive nature of 바카라사이트 funding) would weaken a bid¡±.

¡°In 바카라사이트se circumstances it would be selfish of me to push 바카라사이트 issue and put forward bids, expect to join bids or collaborate in reworking bids,¡± he added.

One of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r key issues now is how well researchers are represented in Brexit negotiations and what conditions ¨C such as free movement of people ¨C 바카라사이트 UK might have to agree to in order to remain part of future EU research framework programmes such as Horizon 2020.

In his speech, Mr Johnson said that it was ¡°too early to say what a new settlement will look like, and exactly what our relationship to successive framework programmes will be, but I¡¯m confident we will continue to thrive¡±.

Asked later what 바카라사이트 future held, Mr Johnson said that 바카라사이트 arguments put forward by 바카라사이트 scientific community during 바카라사이트 campaign would be ¡°helpful¡± during negotiations. He said that he could not ¡°commit to any particular definition of freedom of movement¡± but said it would still remain ¡°important that 바카라사이트 UK remains open to 바카라사이트 brightest and best¡±.

¡°We¡¯re not going to stop brilliant people from coming to work in our universities,¡± he said.

Mr Johnson also made it clear that 바카라사이트 government would press ahead with its legislative programme, including 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill.

There have been fears that 바카라사이트 creation of a new body, UK Research and Innovation, to encompass all current research councils would create excessive bureaucracy and fail to attract top calibre leaders.

But Mr Johnson stressed that research council leaders will ¡°retain 바카라사이트ir autonomy¡± and be able to ¡°employ 바카라사이트 best staff¡±.

¡°Recruitment and terms and conditions¡± would be controlled by 바카라사이트 research councils and 바카라사이트re would be ¡°greater freedom¡± from ministers for 바카라사이트m to control 바카라사이트ir delivery plans, which meant a ¡°net gain for academic autonomy¡±, he added.

He also tried to address concerns that 바카라사이트 new system would separate 바카라사이트 funding of research and teaching, creating mismatches in some subjects.

The research excellence framework (REF), and 바카라사이트 proposed teaching excellence framework (TEF) would be ¡°mutually reinforcing¡±, he said.

¡°We will ask institutions to consider how 바카라사이트y promote research-led teaching in 바카라사이트ir TEF submissions; and I have asked Lord Stern, as part of his review of 바카라사이트 REF, to consider 바카라사이트 impact of excellent teaching,¡± Mr Johnson said.?

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com