Even amid the latest ups and downs on the road to Brexit, the likely shape of the UK鈥檚 departure from the European Union is still clear.
Prime Minister Theresa May has made plain her intention that it will involve taking control of immigration to the UK from EU nations by leaving the single market. A court-ordered vote in parliament on triggering the country鈥檚 departure is unlikely to change that.
In which case, how will collaboration between British and EU scientists on EU-funded research continue and how will new border controls affect the flow of overseas scientists to the UK?
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Having campaigned for Brexit, I am optimistic that when talks begin this year to achieve this, a deal to continue joint research can be struck, and that a new immigration system will ensure talent still comes to our shores.
World-class researchers
Ensuring UK science and innovation thrive is a priority in the government plan to quit the EU, demonstrating the strategic value placed upon our talented and industrious researchers, who continue to outperform on the world stage.
In terms of clues to our future research relationship with the EU, two comments May made in her Brexit speech last week are particularly telling:
鈥淭here may be some specific European programmes in which we might want to participate. If so, and this will be for us to decide, it is reasonable that we should make an appropriate contribution [to EU funds].鈥�
鈥淲e will also welcome agreement to continue to collaborate with our European partners on major science, research and technology initiatives.鈥�
Paying for access
With those words, it appears the government is open to an 鈥渁ssociation agreement鈥� to retain links with the 鈧�80 billion EU research programme, Horizon 2020. In all, , including Switzerland, Iceland, Turkey and Israel, so the precedent of non-EU participation exists. This status involves paying into the joint budget, but would allow UK scientists to continue applying for grants and work with EU labs on Horizon projects.
Several association agreements do not involve freedom of movement, Israel鈥檚 for example, which opens the door to continued UK-EU research collaboration while also respecting the British electorate鈥檚 message to take back control of immigration.
Although nearly all UK research and development, much of it in the private sector, occurs outside EU networks (), scientists who campaigned for Brexit fully recognise the importance of international collaboration and researcher mobility to the UK鈥檚 scientific and academic success.
UK researchers will, of course, continue to work with European colleagues through the many non-EU intergovernmental projects that already exist, such as those run by CERN and the European Space Agency. However, we accept that many see the benefit of continued involvement with the three per cent of R&D that relies on the EU.
Attractive neighbour
Given the government鈥檚 apparent willingness to explore an association agreement, we see no logical reason why our scientific relationship with the EU should change. Yes, the decision rests with the remaining 27 EU members, but would they actively exclude a close neighbour that has where none exist in the rest of the EU, or has produced than any other EU member?
Of course, as we take back control of immigration, the UK will need to mitigate the impact on UK science and develop a strategy to maintain the inward flow of researchers and academics for work and collaboration.
Thankfully, there is good evidence to suggest that such mobility is not contingent on keeping freedom of movement. A study published in 2012 showed that countries with strict immigration controls, such as Australia, Canada and the US, than the UK, France and Germany.
It may require innovative solutions, such as a simplified fast-track visa scheme for researchers or the removal of genuine overseas students from immigration statistics, but we remain confident that the UK will continue to recruit the brightest and best minds from across the globe.
