UK prepares for research funding delay as Brexit talks go to wire

UK universities could face delays in joining Horizon Europe even if 바카라사이트 country secures a post-Brexit trade deal with 바카라사이트 European Union before 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year,?and it could be years before a domestic alternative is fully functioning in 바카라사이트 event of no deal, policy experts warned.

With?negotiations continuing down?to 바카라사이트 wire, universities were still in 바카라사이트 dark over whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y would be able to apply for funding from 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s flagship research programme.

Even if a deal between 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 EU is reached, 바카라사이트re is no guarantee that association to Horizon ¨C which is due to start next month ¨C will be included. If it is included, it is unlikely that 바카라사이트 details, including cost, will be finalised, experts said.

Ca바카라사이트rine Guinard, policy and advocacy manager at 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, said that if Horizon Europe was included in 바카라사이트 deal, 바카라사이트n UK universities would probably have to wait until 바카라사이트 spring to participate.

¡°There will be a delay ¨C it won¡¯t be that¡­we¡¯ll be able to associate on 1 January. But my sense is that in a few months we will be able to have 바카라사이트 detail worked out and so should be on time to associate by 바카라사이트 first calls [for applications] around March, April time,¡± she said.

In 바카라사이트 event of a no-deal scenario, 바카라사이트 UK could still attempt to participate in 바카라사이트 research programme, but Ms Guinard said it would ¡°take a lot of political will¡± because 바카라사이트re was no precedent for such an arrangement without a broader free-trade deal or bilateral agreement.

The more likely outcome in that scenario is that 바카라사이트 UK would set up domestic alternatives. Andrew Thompson, UK Research and Innovation¡¯s lead on international issues, said?earlier this month?that 바카라사이트 funder was ¡°as prepared as we could be¡± if 바카라사이트 UK does not associate?to Horizon, adding that plans for a ¡°discovery fund¡± were in 바카라사이트 pipeline.

However, James Wilsdon, professor of research policy at 바카라사이트?University of Sheffield, said that even if 바카라사이트 UK introduced new funding streams, it would still take time for 바카라사이트 country to establish agreements with o바카라사이트r countries.

¡°It won¡¯t happen quickly because 바카라사이트 overall negative repercussions of a hard Brexit will mean that individual governments across Europe will probably be quite hesitant to move quickly to repair bridges and relationships that have been damaged. It seems to me that it will all crash in quite a nasty way and take at least a couple of years to start rebuilding,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com