Scientists lose European funding in Brexit deal row

At least 115 UK-based scientists are to lose prestigious European grants and 19 are leaving Britain as a result of a row between London and Brussels over participation in a continent-wide research programme after Brexit.

- ANDREW WOODCOCK

A provisional deal for the UK to remain part of Horizon Europe has been thrown into doubt by Boris Johnson's threat to tear up the protocol deal on Northern Ireland that he struck with the EU in 2019. The EU is refusing to ratify Britain's associate membership of the €95bn (£82bn) scheme, which funds projects from particle physics to vaccine research.

Earlier this month, almost 150 UK-based scientists who had secured promises of funding for cutting-edge research were told that they must declare their intention to transfer to institutions within the EU by Wednesday this week or lose their grants. And the European Research Council (ERC) has now revealed that 19 of them have informed it of their intention to leave the UK in order to keep their funding, with another 12 cases yet to be resolved.

An ERC spokesperson told Research Professional News: "The preparation of 115 ERC grants offered to UK-based researchers will be terminated now that the 29 June deadline has passed."