Brexit twists still threaten massive hit to research

In a week of deepening anxiety and turmoil over Brexit, universities in the United Kingdom have been given a stronger signal of what they will miss out on in the event of a no-deal Brexit but also have reason to hope that the UK government may eventually propose a softer Brexit than Prime Minister Theresa May has been proposing so far.

The agreement on 20 March by European Union institutions on the proposal for the Horizon Europe programme, the successor to Horizon 2020, the EU’s flagship research programme, increases the likelihood that it will be broadly adopted by the next European Parliament that will be elected in May and the next European Commission.

Severely threatened

Under the proposed Horizon Europe arrangements, the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit would be classed as a third-country and along with Switzerland would see its position “severely threatened”, according to Lidia Borrell-Damian, the European University Association’s director for research and innovation, unless an agreement for full associated participation is separately agreed.

“I think it would be very bad if these two countries would not be able to participate in Horizon Europe,” Borrell-Damian told University World News. “So we will have to see what the political environment will be” in terms of whether participation of these two countries can be negotiated.

She said Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU, is a “victim of a shift towards a ‘Europe First’ approach”.

“If this agreement goes ahead, they will not be able, as a third country, to participate in many programmes in Horizon 2020 and will not be able to exploit the results in Swiss territory either.”

She said Switzerland is very easily dubbed as third country because it is not part of the European Economic Area or EEA.

“Switzerland is isolated and has to negotiate its own agreement with the EU if it still wants to be in partnership with the EU, but under the [proposed] legislation will have to negotiate as a full third country, as if it were Israel, as if it were not far more integrated in Europe than any of those [third] countries.”

If the UK opts for a hard Brexit, it will face the same fate, unless there is a special agreement, Borrell-Damian said.

Damage already done

But she also pointed out that for the UK a lot of damage has already been done because even when making calls for Horizon 2020 programmes, people are seeking alternatives to UK partners.

Calls are still being issued for Horizon 2020 and should not be affected by Brexit because of the commitment of the UK government guaranteeing full funding back-up in the event of the UK leaving the EU, which it is currently legislated to do this week, on 29 March, but “people are not putting UK organisations at the front, coordinating projects any more in proposals”, Borrell-Damian said.

There could be many dramatic twists and turns before that deadline on Friday, however, as there have already been this past week.

Staring into the abyss

UK universities were staring into the abyss of a no-deal Brexit at the beginning of last week as Theresa May prepared to put her deal agreed with EU leaders to a third ‘Meaningful Vote’ after suffering two defeats of historic proportions previously and insisting that the alternative was to leave on 29 March with no agreement in place.

But two decisive interventions wrested political control of the Brexit process from her.

On Monday the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow refused to let her proceed with a third vote on her deal unless there were significant changes to the proposal previously voted down.

May, whose strategy has been to rely on the support of hardline Brexiters on the right of her party rather than reaching out across party boundaries for broader support, then made an ill-judged statement to the nation, appealing to the public over MPs’ heads and blaming them for the impasse.

This infuriated MPs on all sides – one of whom pointedly tweeted that a “charm offensive without the charm” is just “offensive” – and reduced still further the likelihood of her winning MPs’ backing for her deal.

Further weakened and under pressure from hardliners, she dropped a reported intention to ask EU leaders for a long delay to Brexit, but when she raced to Brussels to appeal to them for a short delay – which initially they had seemed to support provided she got the backing of MPs – they could find no answer to the question of what would she do if MPs failed to change their mind before 29 March.

Exasperated and fearing the UK was set to walk off the cliff, European leaders made their own decisive intervention, offering a two-tiered agreement that ostensibly offers May a short delay if she gets a vote through in parliament next week, which few believe she can achieve, or a much longer delay with conditions attached, to pursue an alternative plan, if she doesn’t.

In the UK parliament, which has already rejected the no-deal option, this may pave the way for MPs to take control if her vote fails, making a compromise softer Brexit and possibly a People’s Vote on the deal more likely.

That would depend also, however, on whether May is forced to resign, and who replaces her, and-or whether a general election will be called.

Meanwhile by Friday lunchtime a petition to revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU had achieved three million signatures, nearly all of them since May’s politically disastrous speech on Wednesday night.

Researchers left in the dark

In the meantime UK universities have been left wondering whether research producing life-changing discoveries and leading researchers tackling some of society’s major health and environmental challenges could be left in limbo.

The UK government has not explained how it will ensure that applications from researchers at UK universities for European Research Council (ERC) awards will be funded if they are in the middle of the evaluation process, or what future system will be put in place to replace funding for world-leading research, in the event of no-deal.

The UK was the most successful country in the last round of ERC Advanced Grants, with 66 applicants awarded up to €2.5 million (US$2.8 million) each – a total of €155 million in funding.

Current applicants are set to find out whether they have been awarded funding from the latest round of ERC Advanced Grants by 8 April 2019, with the next call for applications opening on 21 May 2019.

But Professor Dame Janet Beer, president of Universities UK, said UK researchers remain in the dark over what will happen to their current ERC applications or where they will go in future for funding if there is no-deal.

“Without clarity very soon vital research could be disrupted, which would be hugely damaging to people’s lives. The UK also risks losing some of our brightest minds to other countries, if they don’t know how their research will be progressed.”

As well as ERC grants, access to Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action fellowships, which provide funding for UK academics to spend time with overseas research teams, and vice-versa, is at risk.

The next call is due to open on 9 April 2019, with many potential applicants already at an advanced stage of planning. A no-deal Brexit would mean UK-based applicants will not be able to apply for these grants, costing universities around £1.1 billion (US$1.5 billion) in research funding.

This article has been corrected on 25 March to indicate that Switzerland is not a member of the EEA. Previously we incorrectly stated that it was not a member of EFTA, the European Free Trade Association.