The University has welcomed the announcement that Britain is to rejoin the €95.5billion Horizon Europe research funding programme.
Horizon Europe is the European Union’s largest research and innovation programme, supporting the creation and dissemination of knowledge and technologies.
Professor Colin Bain, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), welcomed the news, saying:
“The announcement of UK’s association to Horizon Europe, which has overwhelming support from universities across the UK and Europe, is excellent news for researchers at all career stages.
“Durham is a global university, and collaboration with Europe is critical for the university to remain at the forefront of research.
“The removal of uncertainty on Horizon will give renewed vigour to current and future collaborations with Europe on research. It will open up very many opportunities for our young people to acquire new skills through study and work with European partners.
“We are in no doubt that this is a wise decision by the Government, which will see its investment in Horizon Europe amply repaid through the benefits the research will have on the economy, society, health, culture, skills and the environment..
“The positive message this announcement sends around the importance of international research collaboration will help Durham and the UK to attract the best researchers from around the world.”
The UK’s association with Horizon Europe provides UK researchers with the same rights as those in EU Member States.
They can now co-ordinate as well as participate in projects, and UK universities can sign grant agreements directly with the European Commission for prestigious research funding such as the European Research Council (ERC), Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and large-scale international collaborative research projects.
