A new report details how reliant the UK is on European Union research funding, ScienceInsider reports, adding that some fields will have "major funding holes to fill" after Brexit is finalized.
The Academy of Medical Sciences, the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Royal Society together commissioned the policy research organization Technopolis Group to examine how leaving the EU would affect UK research. Currently, the UK receives some €1.1 billion in EU funding.
In its report, Technopolis says Brexit will have "significant implications for UK research and innovation." In particular, it found that clinical medicine, biosciences, and chemistry received £119 million, £90 million, and £54 million in funding, respectively, from the EU. In terms of relative importance, fields like archeology and classics — though receiving smaller absolute amounts — rely heavily on EU funds.
"EU funding is an integral part of the UK research and innovation landscape and many UK organizations are central actors in EU-funded projects and research and innovation networks in Europe," the report says. "The UK's decision to withdraw from the EU entails uncertainty and potential risks for many areas of UK research and innovation concerning future access to EU programs and funding."
ScienceInsider notes that the UK government has said it would continue to support UK researchers with EU funding while the exit in negotiations.