Print This Post
Researchers reacted with relief to the news that the United Kingdom and the European Union had reached a last-minute trade deal on 24 December — ending more than four years of uncertainty over what their relationship after Brexit would look like.
The deal has wide-ranging impacts for scientists — most importantly, it means that UK researchers will take part in Europe’s €85-billion (US$106 billion) flagship research programme, Horizon Europe.
In his speech outlining the agreement, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the deal meant “certainty for our scientists who will be able to continue to work together on great collective projects”.
The agreement will also shape data regulations, student exchange, nuclear science, space research and clinical trials. As the dust settles, Nature looks at what the long-awaited Brexit deal means for scientists.
So good to see that UK participation in Horizon Europe was included in today’s post-Brexit trade deal. At the end of a difficult year in the UK, Europe and worldwide, the UK’s continued participation in the world’s largest research programme is a symbol of hope and solidarity.
— Catherine Guinard (@OneNomadicCat) December 24, 2020
Alzheimer's Society
NIHR
Wellcome Trust