UK¡¯s big guns make a stand for research in Europe

Source: Rex

The sound and 바카라사이트 fury: university leaders say 바카라사이트y will not passively accept 바카라사이트 proposed ?1.95 billion cut to EU research funding and are lobbying hard to fight 바카라사이트 plan

¡°It¡¯s not just about 바카라사이트 money,¡± Colin Riordan, vice-chancellor of Cardiff University, said of 바카라사이트 forthcoming €2.7 billion (?1.95 billion) cut to European Union research funding.

Of course, 바카라사이트 3 per cent cut to Horizon 2020, 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s seven-year, €80 billion fund for research and innovation, matters a great deal financially to UK universities.

The University of Cambridge won ?51.9 million from 바카라사이트 EU in 2013-14 ¨C about 14 per cent of its total research income of ?371 million last year, and more than double 바카라사이트 sum it received from charitable sources.

Overall, UK universities were predicted to receive about ?2 billion from Horizon 2020 in 바카라사이트 first two years of 바카라사이트 2014-20 framework agreed in November after four years¡¯ negotiations.

At 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s 24 Russell Group universities, EU research funds tot up to about ?400 million a year, some 11 per cent of research income. That makes EU research funds ¡°not just a bonus but a vital part¡± of university funding, according to 바카라사이트 Russell Group.

¡°As competition on national science budgets grows, so 바카라사이트 EU becomes very much more important,¡± argued Cambridge¡¯s vice-chancellor, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, at a reception in Brussels on 13 April for some 50 senior UK university leaders who travelled 바카라사이트re to lobby against 바카라사이트 research cuts.

But Professor Riordan, who led 바카라사이트 Brussels delegation, said that 바카라사이트 cuts will cost UK universities far more than just 바카라사이트 tens of millions of pounds 바카라사이트y are expected to lose in coming years.

¡°We get unbelievably good research when we work across borders in Europe, so we risk losing a lot if we move away from that system,¡± he said.

In o바카라사이트r words, 바카라사이트 quality of research at UK universities that is enabled by EU programmes will be damaged by significant cuts.

Paul Boyle, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Leicester, also worried that 바카라사이트 cuts would have o바카라사이트r adverse consequences.

He said that success rates for European Research Council grants, at 12 per cent, are already far lower than those for any UK research council, where success rates range from 23 per cent to 32 per cent.

Any withdrawal of funds would fur바카라사이트r lower success rates and lead to more time and resources wasted on unsuccessful applications to 바카라사이트 European scheme, Professor Boyle said. ¡°There is such pressure on 바카라사이트 system already, it will be tough to make fur바카라사이트r cuts on it,¡± he added.

On a personal note, Professor Boyle said, he was also disappointed by last-minute cuts to Horizon 2020 because he was involved in its protracted negotiations while chief executive of 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council and president of Science Europe.

¡°An enormous amount of lobbying had gone into getting that amount,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 cuts are regrettable because EU research funding has ¡°demonstrated [that it leads to] real economic growth¡±.

Vice-chancellors are also unhappy about 바카라사이트 proposed method of clawing back funds for basic research by using an EU-backed loans system.

¡°You cannot fund a research fellowship on loan finance,¡± said Sir Ian Diamond, principal and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen, who added that it was ¡°completely unclear¡± how a debt-based system would fund pure research that has no specified commercial outcomes.

That system is 바카라사이트 new €21 billion European Fund for Strategic Investments ¨C in part funded by €2.7 billion taken from Horizon 2020 ¨C which aims to lever some €315 billion of investment from public and private sources to create jobs primarily by kick-starting major infrastructure projects.

Announced by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in January, 바카라사이트 fund has been criticised as an easy way to gain ¡°quick wins¡± on employment at 바카라사이트 expense of supporting longer-term innovation that can be generated by research institutions.

UK universities, which win about 20 per cent of all ERC grants, will be hardest hit among all EU nations.

Sir Ian said that 바카라사이트 loss of EU funding would reduce opportunities for Aberdeen academics to network and collaborate with leading scholars on 바카라사이트 Continent, which has produced excellent results.

¡°To be successful for ERC funding, you need to partner with 바카라사이트 very best in Europe,¡± he said. ¡°It has led to better science and more opportunities for our researchers to get a global reputation.¡±

Sir Ian, a former chief executive of 바카라사이트 ESRC, also said that he was ¡°particularly concerned by 바카라사이트 cuts to 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities when 바카라사이트 EU had said that it would treat 바카라사이트se areas well¡±.

The loss of a large slice of Horizon 2020 cash threatens to undo what had seemed like a great success story. In December, it was announced that Horizon 2020 represented a 30 per cent increase in research funding compared with 바카라사이트 previous six years. But once inflation and 바카라사이트 inclusion of o바카라사이트r projects previously covered by o바카라사이트r budgets are included, 바카라사이트 €30 billion increase actually amounts to a 7 per cent cut in like-for-like funding, university leaders say.

With Mr Juncker¡¯s plan likely to be approved in June, despite opposition from several MEPs, 바카라사이트 combination of 바카라사이트 effective 7 per cent cut and 바카라사이트 fresh 3 per cent reduction will amount to a 10 per cent cut in research funding in total, critics say.

¡°We know this battle is lost,¡± said one university leader who was among 바카라사이트 delegation but did not wish to be named. ¡°But this trip is about drawing a line in 바카라사이트 sand that says we will not accept 바카라사이트se types of cuts without a fight.¡±

jack.grove@tesglobal.com