Scientists Fear No Deal Brexit Nears Deadline | Science

By Cathleen O’Grady1 December 2020, 15:20

Brexit is set to become a reality, but its likely consequences for researchers are still emerging. The UK left the European Union on January 31, but remained part of the EU trade and travel deals while the final Brexit deal is being negotiated. On January 1, 2021, those ties will be severed and a Brexit deal has yet to materialize.

The future of research funding, international collaboration, and wrinkle-free supply chains of laboratory inventory hinges on the details of the final agreement, but these issues are “a little behind in the queue” behind the pain points of a trade agreement. says James Wilsdon, a science policy expert at the University of Sheffield.

For UK scientists, the biggest question is whether they can be part of the € 85 billion Horizon Europe research funding program for 2021–27. Non-EU members can participate, but the UK is teetering on a potentially high price. The EU bid would see the UK pay around £ 15bn, plus an additional payment if UK applicants win more than that in fellowships. But as the UK’s success rates in obtaining Horizon grants have dropped by nearly a third since voting to leave Europe in 2016, it is likely to pay far more than it earns. Vivienne Stern, director of Universities UK International, estimates the 7-year premium at around £ 3 billion. Although Stern supports joining Horizon Europe, he told a parliamentary committee on 22 October that the price is too high.

The benefits of international collaboration and access to different funding schemes may justify paying extra, but not such an attractive sum, says Kieron Flanagan, a science policy expert at the University of Manchester. British research advocates have proposed a cap on any premiums paid in Horizon Europe by non-EU countries, but the European Union has shown no signs of letting up since its initial offer in March, says Martin Smith, policy manager at the Wellcome Trust. , a Funder of philanthropic research in the UK. “At the moment I am optimistic that a way forward on costs can be found,” he says, “but all of this is questionable if broader negotiations fail.” Wilsdon is more pessimistic and suggests that Horizon’s participation could stall even if a trade deal were to close.

Another issue that could disrupt research collaborations is data privacy. EU negotiators may find the UK’s data protection laws inadequate due to its extensive use of surveillance, says Rosie Richards, head of digital policy at the NHS Confederation, which represents UK healthcare providers. This could disrupt studies, including those by the COVID-19 Genomics UK consortium, which is working with the European Bioinformatics Institute to track clinical data and changes in the coronavirus genome to determine whether they link to easier transmission of the virus or to a more serious illness.

Less data sharing will also make it more difficult for the UK Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve medicines. The agency was a major player in the European Medicines Agency, which moved from London to Amsterdam in 2019. In January 2021, the MHRA will make its way and is likely to have a heavier workload regarding coronavirus drugs and vaccines, says Olivier. Wouters, a health policy researcher at the London School of Economics. Brexit, he says, “could not have come at a more inopportune time”.

New customs regulations could disrupt the flow of supplies to critical university laboratories, says Helen Dodd-Williams, head of strategic procurement at the North Western Universities Purchasing Consortium (NWUPC). A supply shortage in some inventory, such as liquid helium used to cool MRI machines, would cause major disruptions, he says, while products such as antibodies have a short shelf life and cannot be stored far in advance. Suppliers are developing contingency plans, such as routing laboratory supplies through other ports to avoid expected traffic jams in south-east England.

No matter what deal emerges, Brexit is sure to change the flow of researchers themselves. EU citizens wishing to work in the UK will now need a visa, with requirements for a job offer, a salary above a certain threshold and an English language test. The UK government is offering a new “global talent visa” that removes some bureaucratic hurdles for researchers and technicians named on grants, including those from Horizon Europe. But the cost of a 5-year visa for a family of four is nearly £ 15,000. “It’s really cost prohibitive,” and it could persuade researchers to land elsewhere in Europe, says James Tooze, head of policy at the UK’s Science and Engineering Campaign.

Visa requirements will also affect essential college workers, such as construction cleaners. NWUPC vendors are helping European employees with paperwork that allows pre-Brexit residents to stay, but in the future they may not be able to recruit that job that easily, says Dodd-Williams.

Brexit talks are still ongoing, with stubborn disagreements over rules that would prevent companies on either side from gaining an unfair advantage due to labor and environmental standards or state subsidies. But even if an agreement is reached and ratified by both sides before the end of the year, many details will remain. If the UK does not join Horizon Europe now, it may still choose to join months or years later. And the fallout from new immigration restrictions and customs bureaucracy will take time to develop.

Flanagan says Brexit means a permanently different relationship between the UK and Europe that will require constant change and negotiation. “This is what people don’t really understand,” he says. “It will never end.”