Treasury to safeguard EU research funding

Business and energy minister says government’s commitment to science research ‘remains steadfast’

The Treasury has confirmed it will underwrite funding for approved Horizon 2020 projects applied for before the UK leaves the European Union.

As a result, the government said, British businesses and universities will have certainty over future funding and should continue to bid for competitive EU funds while the UK remains a member of the EU. The Treasury will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU.

The announcement follows the government’s commitment in last year’s Spending Review to protect UK science spending in real terms, providing £26.3 billion from April 2016 to April 2021.

Business and energy secretary Greg Clark said: “The government’s commitment to our world-leading science and research base remains steadfast. By underwriting the significant Horizon 2020 grants we are showing the extent of our commitment, standing squarely behind our researchers and scientists as they continue working with their European partners to develop new technologies, discover life-saving medicines and pioneer every day innovations that will benefit all hard-working Britons.”

Science minister Jo Johnson added: “We’ve protected the UK science budget until the end of the decade and are strengthening the Higher Education system and our support for innovation. By underwriting Horizon 2020 funding in this way, we are again demonstrating the importance we place on maintaining the world leading research that takes place in the UK.”

Horizon 2020 is the European Union’s flagship research and innovation programme. With a budget of almost €80 billion between 2014 and 2020, the programme awards funding to innovative research ideas to help bring them to market quicker.

Through the programme the UK has secured 15.5% of total funds to date totalling around €2 billion, second out of all participating countries.

Global engineering consultancy Ricardo has brought a truck platooning system for trucks and cars to market via Horizon 2020 funding. The company led a project of eight partners to deliver a working platooning system and has run a successful demonstration of a convoy system of vehicles on public roads in mixed traffic.