Universities UK responds to UK Government publication on Horizon Europe contingency plans

We see this as the first step in clarifying how the government would invest in the UK university research and development (R&D) if association proves impossible.

Given that this will represent a major shift in research funding for the UK, it is imperative that the research community has a chance to respond to proposals and to contribute to their development. Today’s publication allows for this to begin to happen in a transparent way. 

For more than 30 years, EU research programmes have enabled cooperation between researchers across the continent to flourish, including in critical sectors like health and climate research. If the UK is not able to associate, we must ensure that ambitious alternative funding is put in place quickly. The publication provides much-needed information about how this could be achieved. 

We particularly welcome the confirmation that, in a non-association scenario, the government will extend the scope of the financial guarantee to cover all UK applications submitted to calls with a deadline before the point of non-association. For calls closing after this point, the government makes clear that they will fund all participation by UK researchers as third-country partners in future Horizon Europe calls until 31 March 2025, where UK researchers are eligible. Taken together, these reassurances will be critical for enabling UK and EU researchers to continue to work together on collaborative projects while there is no permanent solution in place.

We are also pleased to see other asks for short-term funding that we have put to government reflected in the paper, including the proposed Talent and Research Stabilisation Fund and support for in-flight applications. More clarity is quickly needed on the budget and timeline for implementing this plan, and this should not be held up until any decision not to associate has been taken.

Commenting on the publication, Professor Steve West CBE, President, Universities UK, said:

Read the full publication on the UK Government website.