Recommendation 12

The Horizon programme has been, and will continue to be, vital to Scottish academic research. It aids Scotland’s universities in their quest to tackle the biggest global challenges. We praise the UK Government for ensuring the UK’s continued participation; it is an investment worth making. Concerns have however been raised about the UK’s status as a non-EU member. The UK Government should ensure that 6 Universities and Scotland the UK reaps the maximum possible benefits from Horizon Europe in areas such as health, climate and energy and is not disadvantaged as a non-EU member or inappropriately excluded from relevant programmes. In addition if, for any reason, the UK receives less in competitive grants than its financial contributions, the UK Government should explore why this might be and, if appropriate, seek to adjust its financial contribution accordingly.