As the UK’s formal association to Horizon Europe remains pending, Áine Ryan, International Research Funding Manager, provides an update on the current situation. Please note that all information is correct at the time of writing, but may change.
Whilst it remains the official position of the UK Government to seek full UK Association to Horizon Europe, and it remains the official position of the EU to support this, the ongoing delays and recent stories appearing in the press and on social media, are nonetheless causing concern. This article outlines some key updates, and hopes to add some clarification to what is a complex situation. Please note that all information included in this article is correct at the time of writing. However, this is a continually evolving situation, and we will endeavour to update as new, confirmed information emerges.
University of Edinburgh researchers’ success in Horizon Europe so far
Researchers based at the University of Edinburgh have seen considerable success in Horizon Europe, with over £14m in successful funding confirmed so far. Successes have been across ERC, MSCA and Pillar 2 collaborative projects.
UK Association to EU Research Programmes
As part of the existing Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and the EU, the UK has announced that it will ‘Associate’ to Horizon Europe. ‘Association’ will give UK based researchers and businesses access to funding under the programme (including ERC & MSCA) on equivalent terms as organisations in EU countries. For this to happen, both sides need to formally adopt the full text of the agreement taking into account the finalised EU Programme Regulations. It is progress on this ‘next step’ that is causing the delay. A number of other non EU member states have successfully concluded their negotiations to associate to Horizon Europe, but it seems that the UK negotiations are caught up in conversations around wider post-Brexit UK-EU relations.
Read the Policy Paper Summary: The UK’s new relationship with the EU
Information on International cooperation in Horizon Europe
Continue to apply for Horizon Europe funding calls
Until there is a formal, official announcement (from both the UK Government and the EU) that the UK will not associate to Horizon Europe, we strongly encourage researchers to continue to apply for funding.
Read more about available opportunities on our dedicated Horizon Europe site (UoE staff access only).
The stated intention of both the UK Government and the EU remains for the UK to become an Associated Country, allowing UK-based researchers to apply for ERC, MSCA and the vast majority of other calls. The EU has confirmed that even if UK Association isn’t finalised before a call submission deadline, UK-based researchers will still be eligible to apply for Horizon Europe funding as if the UK were still a member state. UK researchers can also act as coordinators as if the UK were a still member state. The challenge comes however, not if Association isn’t secured before a call submission deadline, but rather if Association is not secured by the deadline for signing the Grant Agreement (accepting the award).
Impacts of the delay in finalising Association
UK based researchers remain eligible to apply for Horizon Europe funding, and we encourage you to continue doing so. The main impact of the delay is on funding applications that have already been notified as successful. Without the formal Association of the UK to Horizon Europe, it is not possible for UK organisations to accept awards from the EU i.e. sign Grant Agreements. However, if we cannot accept an award from the EU, the UK Government will provide full funding instead from the ‘Guarantee Fund’. Note: if your funding was awarded under Horizon 2020, there is no impact.
Read this UKRI webpage for further information
UK Government Horizon Europe Guarantee Fund
All applicants who have been notified by the EU of a successful Horizon Europe award, will still receive funding either from the EU or from the UK Government. This funding will come from the EU as long as Association is formalised by the Grant Agreement signing deadline. If this is not possible, the UK Government has committed to covering the UK costs for all successful grants with (currently) a Grant Agreement signing deadline set before end 2022, via the ‘Guarantee Fund’.
Read more on the UKRI Horizon Europe webpages
Depending on the type of award, this has different implications:
1. Horizon Europe ERC awards
The University of Edinburgh has been awarded four ERCs in Horizon Europe so far. Initial conversations with individual EC Project Officers, indicated that they were originally willing to accept reasonable delays to signing the Grant Agreement until further clarity on Association was secured. However, (as you may have seen in the media) a recent message sent to individual ERC awardees has stated that awardees have just two months to transfer their award to an eligible institution in an EU member state or Associated Country. We are deeply concerned by this message, given that it contradicts previous communications, and the ERO EU & International team are actively seeking clarification. The ERO EU & International team are working with affected awardees and their Schools/institutes.
However, the President of the ERC, Prof Maria Leptin, tweeted a few days after the letters were issued, to say: ‘Fervently hoping, as all scientists I know, UK-EU negotiations will result in association so UK colleagues can receive their ERC grants. We were obliged in our letter last week to mention the option for ‘portability’ of the grant, but no one here wishes to entice anyone to leave!’
We remain hopeful that Association will be finalised, and these ERC awards will be funded by the EU. In the unfortunate event that this doesn’t happen, awardees are guaranteed to receive funding from the UK Government via the Guarantee Fund instead, and the ERO team will assist with the process to access this funding.
Read the guidance on the application and transfer of projects here (UoE staff access only)
2. Horizon Europe Marie Sklodowska Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF)
The University of Edinburgh has been awarded 11 MSCA-PF awards in the initial Horizon Europe call, our most successful year since 2017. Initial conversations with individual EC Project Officers, indicate that they are willing to accept reasonable delays until further clarity on Association is secured. Note that MSCA-PFs are not portable to eligible countries in the same way as ERCs. The ERO EU & International team are actively working with affected awardees.
Again, we remain hopeful that Association will be finalised, and these MSCA-PF awards will be funded by the EU. In the unfortunate event that this doesn’t happen, awardees are guaranteed to receive funding from the UK Government Guarantee Fund instead, and the ERO EU & International team will assist with the process to access this funding.
Read the guidance on the application and transfer of projects here (UoE staff access only)
3. Horizon Europe Marie Sklodowska Curie Action Doctoral Networks
The University of Edinburgh was awarded three MSCA-DN awards in the initial Horizon Europe call. The UK Government have stated that if required, the UK involvement will be funded by the Guarantee. As this is a multi-beneficiary grant, to be included in the consortium we will be required to move from a Beneficiary to an Associated Party. We are actively seeking clarification from the EU on whether we are still able to recruit researchers as an Associated Party. The ERO EU & International team are actively working with affected awardees and their schools.
Read the guidance on the application and transfer of projects here (UoE staff access only)
If you are interested in applying to future MSCA-DN calls, please contact the ERO EU & International team for the latest information, as these scheme have special conditions.
4. Horizon Europe Pillar 2 awards – collaborative, multi-partner projects.
Given the multi-partner nature of these projects, there is less flexibility to delay signing the Grant Agreement until Association is confirmed, as this unfairly impacts other partners. If delaying signing the Grant Agreement is not possible, then funds will be provided by the UK Government. As these are multi-beneficiary grants, to be included in the consortium we will be required to move from a Beneficiary to an Associated Party. The ERO EU & International team can assist awardees and schools with this process.
Read the guidance on the application and transfer of projects here (UoE staff access only)
Accessing the UK Guarantee Fund if needed
The ERO EU & International team have prepared guidance on the process for accessing the UK Guarantee Fund. They will work with successful applicants and local research offices to submit the requests for guarantee funding.
Read the latest UK Guarantee Fund guidance here (UoE staff access only)
UK Government ‘Plan B’ – if Association doesn’t happen
The UK Government’s recent R&D roadmap stated that, in the event of non-association, in the short-term ‘We will also scale up and enhance our most prestigious domestic schemes, providing funding to allow UK researchers and innovators to seize opportunities and to allow our institutions to attract and retain international talent. We will make funding available to allow UK partners to participate in European schemes open to third countries.
Under all scenarios, it is our aim that UK organisations and entities continue to participate in Horizon Europe collaborative projects open to third countries, as well as in wider international collaborations. We therefore strongly encourage research talent, businesses, and innovators in the UK and worldwide to work together in establishing global consortia with UK partners now and in the future.’
In line with this statement, UKRI has offered to manage assessment of some or all applications that have been submitted if the European Commission does not release assessments. UKRI are working through details of how this might work and of possible uplift to existing schemes and other mechanisms to support academics and innovators, all subject to funding commitments from government. We will provide updates as we receive them.
Existing awards funded under Horizon 2020
The Withdrawal Agreement means that the UK can continue to participate in EU programmes, including Horizon 2020, that are financed by the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) until their closure (i.e. for the lifetime of grants). UK participants will continue to receive EU grant funding for the lifetime of individual Horizon 2020 projects, including projects finishing after the transition period ends at the end of 2020. UK scientists, researchers and businesses can continue to participate in and lead Horizon 2020 projects and apply for Horizon 2020 grant funding.
Further information about continued UK participation in EU-funded programmes including Horizon 2020 can be found on the dedicated UKRI website.
Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe is the ninth Framework Programme through which the EU will fund research and innovation. It will run for seven years from 2021-2027, and be funded by the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). In total over the seven-year program, €90bn of funding will be available. As with previous Framework Programs e.g. FP7, Horizon 2020, the EC releases funding in two year blocks known as ‘Work Programmes’. The initial 2021-2022 Work Program contains details of call deadlines falling in 2021 and 2022, and there is €14.7bn available via approximately 850 different calls for funding.
Read more about current and upcoming funding opportunities on our ERO Horizon Europe page (UoE staff access only).
Support available from Edinburgh Research Office
Contact details of the ERO EU & International team are on our ‘Who we are’ page.
You can read more about opportunities for funding from Horizon Europe on our dedicated EU & International Research Funding page (UoE staff access only)
View a list of published calls on our EU Funding Opportunity Tracker (UoE staff access only).
Access our proposal development resources for ERC and MSCA applications on the ‘Craft your application’ pages.
If you are looking for tips on how to build a Research Network, visit our pages on support for complex bids (UoE staff access only).
Further Information
European Commission | Q&A on the UK’s participation in Horizon Europe
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