EU nationals coming to the UK for postgraduate studies now have guarantees for funding for studies starting in 2020, confirming that all support for undergraduate, Masters and postgraduate studies is continuing for another year.
The guarantee ensures that those coming to the UK will remain eligible for postgraduate training support from UK Research and Innovation for courses beginning in the academic year 2020 to 2021.
It will also help to maintain the UK’s excellent research base providing international businesses and investors an attractive talent pool to access as part of the UK’s research and innovation offer. PhD graduates are in high demand in the UK – the numbers qualifying with a PhD per year increased by 20% between 2013 to 2014 and 2017 to 2018, with 92% of those graduating in 2016 to 2017 moving into employment and further study after 6 months.
Meanwhile, the UK is set to collaborate with 13 European countries in joining Euro-BioImaging European Research Infrastructure, hosted by Finland. Being part of this new initiative will enable UK life scientists to access its state of the art imaging technologies across Europe as they seek to investigate more about processes within cells and organisms. The work being coordinated by EuBI could lead to new and faster drug development leading to better diagnosis, therapy and disease prevention.
Universities and Science Minister Chris Skidmore said:
At the last competitiveness council in May I announced EU students starting in the 2020 to 2021 academic year will have guaranteed home fee status and financial support for the duration of their courses in England. Today I’m also reassuring EU postgraduates that they will remain eligible for UKRI studentships for courses starting in 2020 to 2021.
Science and research know no borders and international collaboration remains a priority in our modern Industrial Strategy. International students make an important contribution to our world-leading universities. This is all about people – giving prospective students the reassurances they need to choose the UK for the next step in their academic career.
The minister will meet with his European counterparts at the informal Competitiveness Council to discuss, amongst other things, sustainable growth. This is set to be a key theme to Finland’s Presidency of the European Union.
The minister will also reinstate the UK government’s commitment to underwrite funding for recipients of Horizon 2020 funding and invites businesses and researchers currently in receipt of the funding to submit their details on the web portal. Individuals will be contacted in the event of a no-deal Brexit scenario and will be given details of how to get their funding underwritten.