UK ministers pledge research funding to make up for Horizon Europe

UK universities and institutes most affected by loss of access to Horizon Europe funding are set to receive extra financial support under a “talent and stabilisation” scheme while association to the European Union’s flagship research initiative remains blocked.

Unveiling what he called “temporary transitional measures” needed until either the UK was admitted to Horizon Europe or launched its own “ambitious alternative” to the scheme, business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said new interim measures would “provide stability and continuity of funding for UK researchers and businesses”.

Mr Kwarteng added that membership of Horizon Europe remained the UK’s preferred option but the UK should be “prepared for all scenarios” and would therefore develop a “long-term Horizon alternative which will seek to draw on the best features of Horizon and add some improvements which researchers and businesses have told us would be hugely welcome”.

Among the measures announced on 20 July are a new “talent and research stabilisation fund” that would use “formula funding to support a range of eligible UK institutions who have been most affected by the loss of Horizon Europe talent funding”.

The fund will be “paid directly to research institutions through formula funding by UK Research and Innovation in quarterly instalments”, according to the document published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Institutions would be given an “appropriate level of discretion so that they can target vulnerabilities in their local research talent strategies effectively,” it adds.

That measure follow warnings that the UK was “hurtling towards a huge underspend” in domestic research funding in the region of about £1.5 billion annually given that many leading British universities typically receive tens of millions of pounds in EU research funding.

Other measures announced include an extension of UKRI’s Horizon Europe Guarantee, which will now see it fund applications submitted to Horizon Europe and approved for funding “beyond the end of 2022”.

“This would pick up where the current guarantee has left off, so there is no gap, and no eligible successful applications would go unfunded,” the document explains.

There is also a pledge to fund “successful, in-flight applications” – bids to “calls that have closed or are open at the point of non-association” – by assessing these applications domestically “to ensure the best get funded should the European Commission no longer carry out the evaluation".

As expected, there are also promises to increase the amount of funding available to existing talent programmes, such as fellowships run by UKRI, research councils, the Royal Society and other learned societies.

Funding for innovation support will also increase with monies being focused, via Innovate UK, on small and medium-sized businesses. There is also a pledge to “create exciting new mechanisms, ensuring they are bigger, bolder with less bureaucracy and more flexibility”.

The government also announced its desire to remain part of Horizon Europe as a “third country” which allows researchers from non-EU states to be “part of consortia with at least three other applicants from EU member states or associated countries, provided they bring their own funding.” They cannot, however, lead projects.

“As this is a priority for businesses and researchers, the government will fund all eligible UK entities participating in any such consortia signing grant agreements before 31 March 2025,” it says.

The announcement received a cautious welcome from the sector, with Steve West, president of Universities UK, saying it “provides welcome transparency around government contingency plans, especially for short-term stability and safeguarding future collaboration with EU partners”.

“Although association to Horizon Europe is still by far the best outcome for protecting the UK’s position as a ‘science superpower’, the ongoing delay in confirming UK association is very damaging for university research and innovation,” said Professor West, vice-chancellor of the University of the West of England.

 "We now require more precise information on the budget and timeline for implementing these plans. Universities want to work closely with the government to shape long-term alternatives to Horizon Europe if association falls through. Time is pressing and we therefore ask politicians to continue to push hard for association as a matter of extreme urgency,” he added.

Christopher Smith, UKRI’s international champion, said the “broad road map” would open a “conversation as to how we can deliver programmes that protect and stabilise the people and systems that make the UK such a successful science partner, and how we can support UK research and innovation on a global scale in the future.”

jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com