Not business as usual – clear evidence mounting of European funding collaborations being damaged
Although the Science and Technology Committee announced their review several weeks ago, their chair has just been reshuffled to Health, and their progress seems likely to be a little sedate because there are very real challenges now. Two articles:
- Academies write to the Government Ministers must intervene as a matter of urgency to underwrite EU research grants given to UK scientists, the president of the Royal Society, Venkatraman “Venki” Ramakrishnan, has warned.
Failure to act swiftly could generate waves of uncertainty over UK researchers’ future involvement in major European science projects following last month’s Brexit vote, he said.
The UK’s national academies representing science, medicine and engineering have told the government that Brexit is already harming science.
A joint letter from seven academies says that the UK’s world-leading position in these areas is in jeopardy. The national academies represent the best researchers in their fields. They call for the government to make a “bold public commitment” to prioritize research in Brexit negotiations.
Individual researchers have also spoken about the effects of Brexit on their funding and collaborations. The joint letter was written by the presidents of the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the British Academy, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Irish Academy and the Learned Society of Wales. Click here to read more
2.Wildlife & Countryside Link: The European Union has done a lot to support ecological science in the UK. Last year, with the Royal Society of Biology, we responded to a House of Lords inquiry on science and the EU, and our members provided a wealth of examples of fruitful research collaborations, funding success, investment in facilities and the benefits of free movement of people and ideas. Is science already feeling the impact of Brexit? It’s no surprise that the ecological research community, as with scientists across the board, have reacted to the referendum result with deep concern. We are facing huge uncertainty, and despite the Science Minister’s assurances that it is “business as usual”, the impact of ‘Brexit’ is already being felt. Stories are emerging – confirmed by discussions I’ve had with our members – of UK teams being discouraged from leading or participating in collaborative European funding bids, for fear of undermining the chances of success. Click here to read more
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