The UK DRI has, along with 99 organisations and researchers from across the EU and the UK, signed a statement that sets out how negotiators could secure an agreement on UK participation in EU funding programmes such as Horizon Europe after the UK leaves the European Union.
Coordinated by the Wellcome Trust, the statement recognises ‘that both sides have committed to the principle of UK participation’ and calls for this commitment to translate quickly into an agreement on the terms of participation.
Commenting that ‘knowledge and discovery do not stop at borders, and the shared global challenges we face require joint solutions’, the statement calls on both sides to ‘continue these negotiations with fresh energy, a spirit of compromise, and a focus on what is needed for the success of the programme.’ It then sets out a number of solutions to some of the ‘sticking points’ in discussions on the subject, including:
- Demonstrating commitment to the programme
- Ensuring a fair financial contribution through a ‘two-way’ correction mechanism
- Accepting EU oversight of the use of programme funds
- Agreeing to introduce reciprocal mobility arrangements to support the programme
- Clarifying that the results of research can be exploited beyond the EU
Prof Bart de Strooper, UK DRI Director, commented:
“If the UK is to keep its position at the forefront of dementia research, we will need to continue to access these important European funding streams. They have been crucial to progress in tackling some of the big unknowns in dementia research, and we cannot afford to lose momentum by having these vital sources cut off.
There are few more pressing global challenges than that of dementia. The UK and EU must find a way to ensure we can continue to work shoulder to shoulder in meeting that challenge.”
Read the full statement here.
