UK academics slam funder’s ‘disruptive’ grant policy

Researchers have criticised a European funder’s “disruptive” policy requiring its UK grant holders to transfer the administration of funds to a partner outside the country ahead of Brexit.

The change, announced by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology on 18 April, is a pre-emptive move to ensure that funding can continue to be distributed in the event of a no-deal Brexit. COST, which funds research networks, said the move was necessary to prevent a “highly disruptive” situation if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal.

But researchers say the policy would cause unnecessary upheaval for the 20 research networks, called “cost actions”, administered by UK grant-holder institutions.