The UK government is considering extending the post-Brexit financial support promised for research projects funded by the European Union.

Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation Jo Johnson said that the government recognised the “high value” of the Horizon 2020 funding scheme and implied that the provisions were being made to ensure the UK’s continuing participation in such programmes, when giving evidence to the Commons Science and Technology Committee.

Johnson told the committee: “Participations in Horizon 2020 by EU and UK researchers and institutions are still running at strong levels.

“I think that shows that the underwrite that the Treasury put in place pretty promptly is working, and its doing the job that we needed to do. That’s not to say we’re not watching this extremely carefully and always assessing whether there aren’t further things that we need to be doing to ensure our institutions continue to bid successfully.”

Despite a warning posted on the EU’s website that UK bids accepted after the Brexit date may be withdrawn without financial backing, researchers and institutions need not be confused, Johnson added, because the Treasury would protect their applications.

After Tuesday (17 October), the Science and Technology Committee launched an inquiry into the science budget and industrial strategy. An industrial strategy White Paper is due to be published in the coming weeks.

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