Lords call for UK to ‘act immediately’ on Horizon and Erasmus

The UK government must make up its mind on whether the country will participate in the European Union’s research and student exchange programmes, according to a House of Lords inquiry that concluded uncertainty was causing academics and students to miss out on funding and study abroad opportunities.

The inquiry into the future UK-EU relationship on research and education, carried out by the House of Lords EU Services Sub-Committee, said that “the lack of guidance and support on post-Brexit arrangements is providing a real challenge to an already stretched sector” and “with fewer than 25 working days to go until the end of the transition period, the government must act immediately to set out a vision for the sector”.

“The terms of third-country association with the Horizon and Erasmus programmes are yet to be agreed at an EU level, but uncertainty about the UK’s participation means that UK researchers are missing out on research funding and students are missing opportunities for academic exchanges,” it added.

The Brexit transition period ends on 31 December.

Baroness Donaghy, chair of the sub-committee, said that “the government must provide clarity about whether the UK is going to participate in the EU’s Horizon and Erasmus programmes”.

“If it’s not, then it must detail what the alternatives are going to be,” she said. “The lack of certainty on post-Brexit arrangements is providing a real challenge to researchers looking for funding and students seeking to undertake a placement in the next couple of years.”

The findings and conclusions of the inquiry, which were detailed in a letter to education secretary Gavin Williamson, urge the government to consider the advantages of the Erasmus scheme. The UK is currently seeking only partial association to the programme.

It adds that if the UK does not participate in Horizon Europe, the alternative domestic research funding framework “must be independently administered and should focus on building global collaboration, supporting SMEs and providing funding across the UK”. Meanwhile, if the UK does not associate with Erasmus, “a domestic alternative should be in place by the end of the transition period that supports inward and outward student mobility”, it says.

ellie.bothwell@timeshighereducation.com