The UK is facing an exodus of star scientists with at least 16 recipients of prestigious European grants planning to move their labs abroad as the UK remains frozen out of the EU's flagship science programme.
Britain's participation in the European Research Council has been caught in the crosshairs of the dispute over leaving the EU in Northern Ireland, meaning that UK-based recipients of European Research Council fellowship this week faced a deadline of either relinquishing their grant or transferring it to an institute in an
A growing number of scientists are likely to reject the UK government's offer of funding and move to another country.
According to the ERC, 16 academics recently told it that they intend to move their lab abroad or are in talks about doing so. Researchers have been given an extension before their grants end.
A group leader at the Francis Crick Institute in London, who is due to receive 2m over five years from the ERC to study the malaria pathogen, is one of the people considering moving. The lack of flexibility about moving funding internationally was one of the major drawbacks of the UK offer.
He said it made him angry. Scientists were put up a wall by the UKRI. It's not about science.
Three other senior academics wanted to remain anonymous because they were negotiating contracts, but the Guardian heard from them.
A biology professor at a top-ranking university was awarded a 2m grant and said the UK's participation in EU programmes had already been disruptive.
She said she felt sad to be in this position. Either I leave at huge personal and professional cost, or I stay and miss out on career changing opportunities. It was supposed to be a huge achievement for us as scientists. I feel stressed instead.
The offer to match the 2m funding she had been awarded to research the roots of populism in the 21st century would not replace the prestige of ERC grants.
She said that theERC is recognised as excellence. It is something that changes my career in Europe. I worked on this proposal for two years, and I didn't want to give up something I really wanted.
A third senior scientist, who plans to transfer a 2m grant to study the response of animals to climate change to an institute outside the UK, said: "My main motivator for choosing to move is that I don't trust UK governmental institutions and processes after what I've
The loss of these academics is bad news for the UK government. The UK is ready to go ahead with its plan B if the dispute with the EU is not resolved, according to the science minister.
Some people who are still in the UK said they were left in limbo when it came to knowing when the UKRI funding would be made available. The University of Oxford was awarded a 3.1m grant to study the effects of human-caused climate change in the timing of seasonal events in Oxford's Wytham Woods. It's a black hole.
Since the research focused on seasonal phenomena, the uncertainty about funding could delay the work by a year. He said that you can't just start a programme the next day. It's hugely destabilizing.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy acknowledges that the EU's delays to formalising the UK's association to Horizon Europe have led to uncertainty for businesses and researchers in the UK.
The guarantee means that successful applicants will receive their funding at their UK host institution for the rest of their lives.
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