Uncertainty about the UK’s future participation in the EU’s
Horizon and Erasmus programmes is causing UK researchers to miss
out on research funding and students are missing opportunities
for academic exchanges.
This is the main conclusion of a short inquiry
carried out by the House of Lords EU Services Sub-Committee into
the future UK-EU relationship on research and
education.
The findings and conclusions of this inquiry
are detailed in a letter
from the Committee to the Secretary of State for Education,
Rt Hon
MP.
Other findings and conclusions set out in the
Committee’s letter include:
-
Under current EU proposals, the UK could end
up as a significant net contributor to European research
funding with little say over how it is administered. Any
investment in research funding must be good value for the UK,
and the Government should weigh the benefits of association
against the cost implications.
-
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.
-
The UK is currently seeking ‘partial’
association to Erasmus. The Committee urges the Government to
consider the advantages of the Erasmus scheme which provides a
common framework for placements that fit well within existing
higher education structures and makes provision for students
from disadvantaged backgrounds.
-
If the Government 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.
-
The absence of a positive data adequacy
decision would have a significant and negative impact on the
UK’s research and education sector.
, Chair of
the EU Services Sub-Committee, said:
“The UK’s world-leading research and education
sector is a major asset to the UK economy. It also brings a range
of benefits beyond its financial
contribution.
“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. 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.”
This short inquiry has built on the former EU
Home Affairs Sub-Committee’s February 2019 report, Brexit: the Erasmus and
Horizon programmes.
