From Thursday 7 September, UK researchers can apply for grants and bid to take part in projects under the Horizon Europe programme.
British researchers will now be granted entry into the world’s most extensive research collaboration initiative, Horizon Europe, following the successful negotiation of a tailored agreement by the Prime Minister, which includes enhanced financial conditions for the United Kingdom’s involvement.
Once adopted, the UK will regain the opportunity to participate in the governance of EU initiatives, from which it has been excluded for the past three years. This will enable the UK to actively influence the direction of collaborative efforts in the coming year. Furthermore, British researchers will be empowered to take the lead in consortia within the forthcoming work programme of Horizon Europe projects.
Horizon will give UK companies and research institutions unrivalled opportunities to lead global work to develop new technologies and research projects, in areas from health to AI. This will not only open up cooperation with the EU, but also Norway, New Zealand and Israel which are part of the programme – and countries like Korea and Canada which are looking to join too.
This follows a call between the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen on Wednesday (6 September). They are encouraging UK scientists to apply with confidence from today and they agreed that the UK and EU will work together to boost participation.
Through extensive negotiations conducted over the past six months, the Prime Minister has successfully attained enhanced financial conditions for the United Kingdom’s association with Horizon Europe. These terms have been tailored to suit the UK’s specific needs, thereby amplifying the advantages for British scientists, optimising the utilisation of UK taxpayer funds, and mitigating any adverse effects stemming from delays in the EU’s approval of our association on the participation rates of researchers.
The UK will also associate to Copernicus, the European Earth Observation programme. This will provide the UK’s earth observation sector with access to unique data – valuable to helping with early flood and fire warnings, for example – and with the ability to bid for contracts, which they haven’t been able to access for three years.
In line with the preferences of the UK fusion sector, the UK has decided to pursue a domestic fusion energy strategy instead of associating to the EU’s Euratom programme. This will involve close international collaboration, including with European partners, and a new, cutting-edge alternative programme, backed by up to £650m to 2027. It will ensure UK taxpayer funding is spent in the UK’s best interests.
Together, this deal is set to create and support thousands of new jobs as part of the next generation of research talent. It will help deliver the Prime Minister’s ambition to grow the economy and cement the UK as a science and technology superpower by 2030.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Innovation has long been the foundation for prosperity in the UK, from the breakthroughs improving healthcare to the technological advances growing our economy.
“With a wealth of expertise and experience to bring to the global stage, we have delivered a deal that enables UK scientists to confidently take part in the world’s largest research collaboration programme – Horizon Europe.
“We have worked with our EU partners to make sure that this is right deal for the UK, unlocking unparalleled research opportunities, and also the right deal for British taxpayers.”
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan said: “Today is a fantastic day for UK science and our whole economy. We have listened to the sector, and through hard work and negotiation we have secured an excellent deal for researchers, taxpayers, and businesses.
“The Horizon programme is unrivalled in its scope and opens up a world of opportunity for cooperation on science that delivers real-world benefits for the UK – creating jobs, boosting our economy, and opening up collaboration for the sector with some of our closest partners, whether on tackling climate change or advancing cancer research.
“This deal is a crucial step forward on our mission to become a science and tech superpower by 2030.”
The Academy of Medical Sciences, the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Royal Society have issued a joint statement on the UK’s association to Horizon Europe: “This is a great day for researchers in the UK and across Europe. The Horizon programme is a beacon of international collaboration and UK-based academic and industrial researchers will now be back at the heart of that.
“Research is vital to tackling the key problems we face, from global challenges such as climate change to driving productivity growth and creating new jobs locally. Our involvement in Horizon Europe will make the UK stronger and is a big win for global research and innovation.”
Max Bautin, Managing Partner, IQ Capital, said: “This is excellent news for academic researchers in the UK and also in the EU, both in terms of funding and the opportunity to collaborate, which in turn will step up innovation between the UK and the EU. It is also excellent news for the UK’s deeptech community, much of which is sourced on research coming out of universities, and equally importantly talented researchers and founders, which will continue to be attracted to the UK as the leading deeptech ecosystem in the EU.”
