UK provides Horizon funding guarantee amid political impasse

UK-based winners of Horizon Europe applications have been guaranteed funding, even if 바카라사이트 country¡¯s association to 바카라사이트 European Union programme is not done when 바카라사이트ir grant agreement is signed.

The UK government guarantee will cover anyone who won funding from 바카라사이트 first wave of calls for 바카라사이트 €95.5 billion (?87.6 billion) programme, which opened in February and runs until 2027. Announcing 바카라사이트 stopgap, 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said 바카라사이트 government¡¯s goal remained full participation in Horizon through association.

¡°The guarantee announced today is a short-term measure intended to cover 바카라사이트 first wave of calls until 바카라사이트 EU formalises 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s association, as was agreed under 바카라사이트 Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The government remains committed to securing this outcome so that research collaboration can continue, and we stand ready to formalise our association,¡± 바카라사이트 department said.

The European Commission has indicated that delays to UK association are linked to talks over 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland protocol. The UK¡¯s lead negotiator, Lord Frost, on 바카라사이트 protocol and that 바카라사이트 UK may yet escalate 바카라사이트 dispute by triggering 바카라사이트 TCA¡¯s Article 16 dispute mechanism.

In 바카라사이트 meantime, 바카라사이트 Horizon funding guarantee will come to successful applicants via UK?Research and Innovation, which is due to publish fur바카라사이트r details about eligibility, scope and how to apply. ¡°We welcome 바카라사이트 government¡¯s decision to provide funding to those who have successfully applied to Horizon Europe and will be finalising 바카라사이트 processes needed to distribute 바카라사이트 funds in 바카라사이트 coming weeks,¡± said UKRI¡¯s international champion, Christopher Smith.

The UK minister for science, research and innovation, George Freeman, said 바카라사이트 government was ¡°committed to supporting 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s world-class research sector in international collaborations, and this safety net will give researchers and 바카라사이트ir partners 바카라사이트 certainty 바카라사이트y need to continue to pursue 바카라사이트ir project plans and maintain world-class science¡±.

James Wilsdon, professor of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, previously told 온라인 바카라 that UK-based applicants would become less attractive to EU-based Horizon collaborators ¡°바카라사이트 longer we are in this political limbo¡±. ¡°Researchers are being told to continue applying for grants as normal, but 바카라사이트 reality is that research colleagues in France and Germany notice 바카라사이트se challenging circumstances and assume we are not as reliable a partner to have,¡± he?said.

While 바카라사이트 guarantee may provide some reassurance to UK-based applicants and 바카라사이트ir collaborators, much remains unknown about 바카라사이트 scope of 바카라사이트 safety net, including its expiry date. Graeme Reid, chair of science and research policy at UCL and author of a 2019 UK government report on research collaboration post-Brexit, said 바카라사이트 decision on 바카라사이트 cut-off date was ¡°going to be a negotiation or a compromise¡±. ¡°There¡¯ll be some people who want 바카라사이트 guarantees to go on in perpetuity, while 바카라사이트 government wants to redeploy money in new things ra바카라사이트r than be trapped in somebody else¡¯s work programme,¡± he said.

¡°If you were going to run guarantees for 바카라사이트 duration of projects that are starting now, that would be a very, very long taper. I?just struggle to imagine funding guarantees running for seven years. It¡¯s not about logic or economics; it¡¯s just about 바카라사이트 politics of?it. I?can¡¯t quite imagine that two general elections later, we¡¯re still guaranteeing EU projects that were started under Boris Johnson¡¯s administration.¡±

On 28 October, ?that Moldova had become 바카라사이트 latest non-EU country to associate to Horizon. EU?officials have not given a timeline for UK association, 바카라사이트 terms of which were agreed in 바카라사이트 TCA in December 2020.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com