18 December 2015
The Royal Society today (18 December 2015) publishes the first of three evidence-based briefing reports about the role that the European Union (EU) plays in UK research. Today’s report – UK research and the European Union: The role of the EU in funding UK research – focuses on bringing together the most up to date facts and figures about the finances, whilst also clearly outlining how EU research funding works in the UK.
The report is intended to play a part in informing the debate ahead of the UK’s in or out EU referendum, due before the end of 2017. The briefings that follow will explore the influence of the European Union on researcher mobility and international collaboration, and the influence of EU regulation and policy on research in the UK.
Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society, said, “The outcome of the UK’s referendum on EU membership is an important issue for the UK. Of course science will only be one of many things people have on their minds when they cast their vote. However, we would like to encourage them to factor it in as a consideration in this debate. Scientific research affects our daily lives and the long term growth of our economy, and brings many benefits to society in health, energy, food and the environment, to name but a few key areas. We hope these reports will be a useful guide for anyone who wants to understand the role of the EU in the UK research landscape.”
Headline facts from UK research and the European Union: The role of the EU in funding UK research include:
The report also provides case studies of Europe-wide research projects, such as the Large Hadron Collider at the CERN centre in Switzerland, detailing the EU’s involvement with each. It also details EU programmes designed to build collaborations and encourage EU Member States to share resources such as the Innovative Medicines Initiative, an EU programme aimed at speeding up the development of better and safer treatments.
UK research and the European Union: The role of the EU in funding UK research is available to download.