Policy Analysis
Post-Brexit Research Funding: UK's New Landscape in 2025
Three years post-Brexit, UK research funding has stabilized into new patterns. Here's what changed, what stayed same, and strategic implications for UK researchers.
The Current State
UK's European Research Access (2025):
- • Horizon Europe: Associate member status secured (2024)
- • Full access to: ERC grants, Marie Curie fellowships, collaborative projects
- • Annual contribution: ~£2.1B (based on GDP)
- • Return rate target: 1:1 (£1 contributed = £1 won back)
- • Current performance: 0.88:1 (below target, improving)
What Changed vs Pre-Brexit
| Aspect | Pre-Brexit | Post-Brexit (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Horizon access | Full member | Associate member (functionally similar) |
| Application complexity | Standard | Additional eligibility checks, +10% admin |
| UK coordination role | Frequently led consortia | Harder to coordinate (trust issues) |
| Student mobility | Erasmus+ | Turing Scheme (UK-only, smaller) |
| UKRI budget | ~£9B annually | ~£12B (compensatory increase) |
Alternative UK-Only Funding (Post-Brexit)
Government created domestic alternatives during period without Horizon access:
UKRI Frontier Research (£2B over 4 years)
UK's answer to ERC. High-risk, high-reward, investigator-led research. Success rate ~12% (highly competitive).
International Collaboration Fund (£250M)
Bilateral partnerships with non-EU countries. Replacing EU collaboration with global networks.
Turing Scheme (£110M annually)
Replaces Erasmus+. UK students/researchers go abroad. Limited compared to Erasmus but improving.
Winners and Losers
Who Benefits:
- • Established researchers (UKRI funding increased)
- • Applied research linked to industry
- • Global South partnerships (new focus)
- • Large research institutions (capacity to navigate both systems)
Who Struggles:
- • Early career researchers (fewer EU mobility options)
- • Social sciences (historically strong in EU programmes)
- • Smaller institutions (dual-system complexity)
- • PhD students (Erasmus loss impacts training)
Strategic Implications for UK Researchers
1. Pursue Both Horizons
Don't choose between Horizon Europe and UKRI—pursue both:
- Horizon Europe: International collaborative projects, prestige, scale
- UKRI: Faster decisions, UK-focused impact, domestic partnerships
2. Strengthen European Networks
Associate status means UK researchers must work harder to be included in consortia:
Building Trust Post-Brexit:
- • Attend European conferences religiously
- • Lead work packages, not whole projects (initially)
- • Demonstrate commitment to European collaboration
- • Co-publish with EU partners proactively
3. Global South Opportunities
UK pivoting toward non-EU international partnerships:
- Africa Research Excellence Fund (£80M)
- Indo-UK partnerships (£120M)
- Latin America collaboration schemes (£40M)
- Southeast Asia research networks (£65M)
Application Strategy Shifts
| Funding Type | New Strategic Approach |
|---|---|
| Horizon Europe | Position as work package lead, not coordinator (initially). Emphasize unique UK capabilities. |
| UKRI Frontier | Highly competitive (12% success). Build track record through smaller UKRI schemes first. |
| International Collaboration | Look beyond EU. Global South partnerships now prioritized and well-funded. |
| Industry partnerships | UKRI emphasizing economic impact. Demonstrate clear pathways to application/commercialization. |
Long-Term Outlook
Post-Brexit research funding stabilizing:
- ✓ Horizon access secured: Removes uncertainty that plagued 2021-2023
- ✓ UKRI budget increased: Domestic alternatives viable long-term
- ✓ Global pivot working: Non-EU partnerships growing 15%/year
- ✗ EU coordination challenges persist: UK less likely to lead major consortia
- ✗ Student mobility gap: Turing smaller than Erasmus, not yet filling gap
Practical Advice for Grant Seekers
Immediate Actions:
- 1. Maintain EU networks: Don't let Brexit reduce European collaboration
- 2. Explore UKRI alternatives: Familiarize with domestic schemes
- 3. Build global partnerships: Non-EU collaboration increasingly valuable
- 4. Emphasize UK strengths: What unique capabilities justify inclusion?
- 5. Plan for complexity: Dual-system navigation now permanent feature
Key Takeaways
- ✓ UK secured Horizon Europe associate membership (2024)
- ✓ Full access to ERC, Marie Curie, collaborative projects restored
- ✓ UKRI budget increased £3B to compensate (now £12B annually)
- ✓ New UK-only alternatives: Frontier Research, Global collaboration funds
- ✓ UK return rate 0.88:1 (below 1:1 target but improving)
- ✓ Global South partnerships prioritized (pivot from EU focus)
- ✓ Researchers must navigate dual systems—pursue both Horizon and UKRI