The UK and EU research funding

The analysis in the following section is based on the most recent completed EU financial framework, that operated during 2007 – 2013.

How much does the UK contribute to EU research and how much does it receive?

Overall the UK is a net contributor to the EU budget. Over the period 2007 – 2013, the UK contributed €77.7 billion to the EU (10.5% of the total EU income from Member States), and received €47.5 billion in EU funding (6% of the total EU expenditure to Member States).

The UK is one of the largest recipients of research funding in the EU and, although national contributions to the EU budget are not itemised, analyses suggest that the UK receives a greater amount of EU research funding than it contributes. The UK Office of National  Statistics (ONS) report an indicative figure for the UK’s contribution to EU research and development of €5.4 billion over the period 2007 – 2013. During this time, the UK received €8.8 billion in direct EU funding for research, development and innovation activities.

Figure 4
Flow of funds between the UK and EU 2007-2013 (€ billion).

What types of research funding does the UK receive from the EU?

The UK receives most of its EU research funding through Framework Programmes and structural funds. Over the period 2007 – 2013, the UK received €6.9 billion of Framework Programme 7 (FP7) funding, of which €1.7 billion were in European Research Council grants (19%) and €1.1 billion for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (12%). The UK was allocated €1.9 billion of structural funds for research and innovation activities over the same period.

Figure 5
Sources of EU funding to UK research, development and innovation. 2007-2013.