UK wins £500m in science grants from EU Horizon scheme after Brexit lockout

11 comments

1. Some good news for Monday morning.

   > British scientists are “over the moon” to be back in the EU’s flagship science research programme Horizon after a three-year Brexit lockout, with new data revealing they have been awarded about £500m in grants since re-entry.

   > EU data shows nearly 3,000 grants were awarded to British science projects in 2024, the first year of the UK’s post-Brexit associate membership after a three-year pause caused by a Brexit row over Northern Ireland.

   This is impressive:

   > In 2024, 2,911 grants worth **€574.7m were awarded to the UK, which had the highest number of beneficiaries of any of the 19 non-EU members in the programme and the third highest by value in just 12 months**.

2. this is great news. the loss of relationships and support with EU research groups was pretty devastating to the research community. this is a great step back to building stronger relationships and work together with our closest partners.

3. An economy boosting programme that was default whilst inside the EU..

4. I can’t believe the EU is paying out the most amount to a non EU country. No wonder the EU is trailing behind on development in science, when all they do is give money to non-member states. 

   This will be fuel for the rising right wing in Europe. 

5. As a country, we punch way above our weight in scientific research. It is so sad that the country holds universities and researchers is such low esteem. And it is not just the general population. Compared with most other developed countries, there is much lower industry-academia collaboration in the UK.

6. Why now, rather than any other time since brexit?

   I can see that there was a pause on Uk involvement, but I’m unclear what changed.

7. It was a stupid, shortsighted decision by the EU to stop collaboration in the first place….by trying to ‘Punish’ the UK for leaving, they ended up shafting themselves.

   There’s many things the UK can collaborate with the EU on to mutually benefit both parties….we do this already with other countries, it’s nothing new.

   Doesn’t mean we have to be part of some federalist protectionist trading block, which thankfully we are not anymore.

8. I presume the UK just pays for it’s share, so the amount is more an indicator of how UK research is standing after the disaster of Brexit.

9. Cue the right-wing press screaming that this is an attack on Britain getting any money from Europe.

10. How much did it cost us to join that scheme? I think we are just getting our own money back. I know it’s not all about the money but the article is leading with that.

11. Important stuff like this will be completely forgotten come the next election

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