Professor David Paterson, President of The Physiological Society, said:
“Scientists based in the UK have been watching with increasing dismay as the country remains locked out of Horizon Europe.
“We have recently seen over 100 grants for UK-based researchers terminated because of the continued lack of agreement.
“From climate change to preparing for the next pandemic, the scale of the challenges facing humanity are vast. We should be removing barriers to scientific collaboration rather than putting new ones up.
“The science community across the UK and Europe have been clear that association with Horizon is important to ensure continued strong collaboration.
“The UK failing to associate with Horizon Europe would be a ‘lose-lose’ outcome for both the UK and EU.
“Science is a global endeavour and the UK is a world leader. The UK has been successful in large parts because we have valued strong international partnerships. Horizon is the world’s largest multinational research and innovation programme, and the UK should be aiming for nothing less than association so that that UK and EU researchers can collaborate freely.”
How have you been affected? The Physiological Society is building a series of case studies to illustrate how the delay in Horizon Europe association is affecting our members. If you have been affected by a terminated grant or delays in being able to apply for funding, please email policy@physoc.org.