In The Guardian’s post-Brexit confidential survey of the elite Russell Group of 24 universities in England (though not all participated), many cases were found in which UK academic leaders were being asked to leave their positions in EU-funded research projects, as they are seen as a financial liability. In the UK, researchers receive £1 billion ($1.3 billion) annually from EU funding agencies and programs, but after Brexit, the allocations of these funds must be renegotiated. Because of this, EU researchers are reluctant to collaborate with UK researchers. The survey suggests that researchers in the natural sciences, engineering and the social sciences are negatively affected, with the ambiguous future of funding leaving UK research in a precarious situation. Additionally, financial uncertainties and a limited capacity to recruit fellows for current research projects are among the reasons cited for UK researchers hesitating in bidding for EU funding. Another challenge for UK researchers is the potential bias of evaluators who control allocation of EU funding.

Source: The Guardian