What’s going on in the UK: 2-15 March

This week: China R&D links review, visa delays, vaccine damages payouts and more

Horizon guarantee extended

The UK government has extended a promise to pay researchers for grants won from the EU’s Horizon Europe funding scheme by three months, as the sector waits to see if the nation will finally join the programme. UK membership has been held up for two years because of political disagreements with the EU over Northern Ireland, but a recent breakthrough in those talks has raised hopes for UK membership of Horizon. In the meantime, UK-based winners of EU grants with application deadlines until the end of June will be able to access UK backup funding for grants they win, as they cannot draw on European money until UK association is approved. “The extension will ensure that eligible, successful UK applicants will continue to be guaranteed funding, supporting them to continue their important work in research and innovation,” the government said.