Science is a collaborative, international endeavour. It provides the widest benefits to society when researchers from different backgrounds, be that country, sector or discipline, come together. Scientists based in the UK and the European Union (EU) are keen to continue working together, even after the UK leaves the EU. The EU’s research and innovation Framework Programmes are an important, and internationally recognised, way of achieving this.
EU Member States and the European Parliament are currently agreeing the shape of the next EU Framework Programme, Horizon Europe. The right programme design will maintain the programme’s reputation for and track record of facilitating excellent science and enabling the broad collaborations associated with it.
Recommendations:
- Horizon Europe should continue to support excellence and international collaboration to benefit Europe’s science and innovation base and its citizens.
- The UK should associate to Horizon Europe to preserve and enhance these international collaborations, since they bring many reciprocal benefits to both the UK and the European Union.
- To support this, the UK government needs to put in place an agile, welcoming mobility framework for science that enables the easy movement of scientists and their families.
Our research
By developing member case studies and analysing the scientific papers published in our portfolio of journals we set out to understand more fully the benefits that international collaboration in general, and participation in EU Framework Programmes in particular, bring to chemistry.
• Read our briefing “International collaborations create chemistry”.
• Read our case studies +Using our research to inform
We are making the case to the UK Government and Parliament for the UK to associate to Horizon Europe, for example by sharing evidence with the House of Lords for their inquiry on the impact of Brexit on EU student exchanges and funding for university research. We are also making the case to the European Parliament and Council, for example by working through the European Chemical Society, for the Horizon Europe programme to maintain its focus on excellence and enable broad third country association.
- Read the evidence we submitted to the House of Lords EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee inquiry “Brexit: EU student exchanges and funding for university research”.
- Read our position paper on the proposal for Horizon Europe.
- Read our response to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee inquiry into an immigration system that works for science and innovation.