Though the UK officially left the European Union on 31 January, on the same day, 36 higher education groups from the UK and EU released a joint statement which encourages international research collaboration and the maintenance of the Erasmus+ scheme.
Representatives of universities across Europe as well as research and science groups, including Universities UK and the Confederation of British Industry, who feel the UK’s continued membership in research schemes will present “clear mutual benefit,” issued the plea.
The University of Edinburgh is a full member of several of these organizations.
In part the statement reads, “We call on our national governments and the European Commission to act on the commitments of the political declaration and work swiftly to agree a basis for continued collaboration through the UK’s full association to Horizon Europe and Erasmus+.
“Swift agreement in this area of clear mutual benefit would be good for all of us and should be reached before the end of 2020.”
UK universities have contributed greatly to scientific research in the EU and have also been great beneficiaries of EU research funding.
The European Union distributes research funding regularly.
In the last funding session, the UK received about 5 billion pounds, going to over 320 projects.
In a blog post, the University of Edinburgh’s research office stated that the university ranks 10th in the EU in terms of success with Horizon 2020 funds with over 150 of the University’s current research projects being conducted in collaboration with partners across the EU.
During the Brexit transition period that ends on 31 December 2020, none of these programs will be affected and students are encouraged to keep applying for research funding, even if the research continues past the deadline.
There has not yet been any plan for including the UK in the EU’s upcoming round of research funds, Horizon Europe, which will start on 1 January 2021.
The joint statement also advocates for UK universities to remain a part of Erasmus+, a program that allows students to study abroad or participate in internships internationally, a program of which the University of Edinburgh is a part.
Sir David Cannadine, president of the British Academy, wrote to national academies across Europe stating, “To tackle the great challenges of the 21st Century, from climate change to the rise of artificial intelligence, academics will need to collaborate across disciplines and across borders.”
In the research office blog post, Jonathan Seckl, Vice-Principal of Planning, Resources and Research Policy writes, “There is optimism that, since both sides overtly want to continue to collaborate at scale, agreement should be attainable.”
While UK Universities encourage the government to prioritize universities in negotiations with the EU, they are also formulating the invention of a replacement research scheme if negotiations do not succeed.
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