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The author is a scientific reviewer
The sense of relief that a post-Brexit Britain may resume links to Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship scientific research programme, is fading. Despite reports of a deal, it was revealed last week that Rishi Sunak had delayed a decision on rejoining until after the summer.
The delay, said to ensure that the cost of working with Horizon is worthwhile, represents a moment of pessimism, and possibly danger, for UK science. Despite the undisputed strategic and economic value of joining the world’s largest multilateral research program, universities and companies are being excluded from collaboration due to persistent uncertainty. Sir Adrian Smith, president of the Royal Society, expressed “frustration”.
Other political smoke signals added to the gloomy outlook. Visas for visiting scientists are becoming more expensive and harder to obtain.ministerial language used to talk pioneerIf the Horizon Society stagnates, the UK science community’s Plan B is poor quality and drafted, giving the feeling of being a pet project rather than a last resort.
The longer the standoff goes on, the more likely it is that unspent Horizon funding will find its way back to the Treasury, and the greater the incentive for frustrated UK researchers to look elsewhere. For outsiders, the stakes are high as Britain’s engagement in European science is now subject to the whims of politics. Overseas collaborators are adapting to life without it. It is hard to imagine how the government could be more actively hindering the UK research enterprise.
EU countries have unrestricted access to Horizon Europe, currently a €95.5 billion research program for 2021-2027, enabling smooth collaboration across borders. Horizon is a springboard to bring in non-EU partners, such as Canada’s participation in the University of Sheffield’s €2.6m aerospace manufacturing Amos project. Startups and corporations can also apply for Horizon funding. International partnerships are critical to addressing global challenges such as climate change, artificial intelligence and energy security; the system excels at developing scientific talent through awards, fellowships and fellowships.
Non-EU countries can apply for ‘associate’ membership. This is open to the UK, but only if it pays an accession fee. Every major organization involved in research in the UK – including the Royal Society, Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK and the Russell Group of 24 universities – has explicitly supported the idea. The 2020 association deal has collapsed amid a row over Northern Ireland’s Brexit trade rules. Three years later, the UK government is now questioning whether rejoining is still worth the money given that the Horizon 2021-2027 plan is halfway through.
While it is reasonable to seek appropriate fees, it seems ludicrous to remain in European science purely on the purse strings, given the economic hit we take in the name of “sovereignty”. At the same time, the delay itself has an unseen cost in demonstrating a lack of seriousness.Professor Mary Ryan, vice-provost for research and enterprise at Imperial College London, said last year that researchers were abstained or not invited Joining the Horizon consortium due to uncertainty. Academics have received offers to move elsewhere despite the government’s commitment to honor existing Horizon funding commitments, she added.
Ryan said a full union was still the best outcome for Britain and Europe, saying it had “never been more important” to stay in the European tent. “Grand challenges like security, climate change, clean energy, and health inequality transcend geographic and political boundaries,” she told me this week. “Cooperation among European countries is not just expedient, it is necessary.” Vanguard is a lame substitute: funding is matched but depends on future spending reviews; nor can it immediately replicate the global network.
In more normal times, contact happens quickly. But the future of British science now rests in the hands of a weakened government that tends to prioritize symbolism over strategic thinking. In the absence of any Brexit victory, rejoining a European studies program might feel like capitulation.
Adding to the embarrassment, the EU is doubling down on its climate commitments, including through Horizon Europe, while some Conservative MPs are turning against them. The front page of a newspaper this week will juxtapose a story outlining the Conservative Party’s abandonment of its Green policies with dramatic photos of British holidaymakers fleeing wildfires in Europe. The message was clear: These are not normal times.
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