Published research

“The EU-UK Scientific Collaboration: Funding, Mobility, and Shared Research Infrastructure” (July 2026).

UPDATE 8th July 2026: This report was published in July 2026. Following revisions, it is the second version of the report, which was first published in April 2026.

This report examines EU-UK scientific collaboration in the post-Brexit context across three interconnected dimensions: research funding, researcher and student mobility, and shared research infrastructure.

Drawing on data from Horizon Europe participation statistics, UK higher education records, and a qualitative analysis of major European research infrastructures, it assesses how Brexit has reshaped the conditions under which the UK engages with the European research landscape.

The report documents the effects of the UK’s period of non-association with Horizon Europe, the structural shifts in student and researcher mobility following the introduction of post-Brexit immigration rules and the withdrawal from Erasmus+, and the governance and strategic implications of Brexit for a range of European research infrastructure models. While formal access has been largely preserved or restored across all three dimensions, the findings consistently point to material changes in the depth, reciprocity, and strategic reach of EU-UK scientific collaboration. Declining participation in consortium-based research, contracting EU student and researcher flows, and a reduced governance role in key European infrastructures emerge as interconnected and, in some cases, compounding challenges. The report concludes by underlining that the recovery of substantive collaboration depends not only on the restoration of formal frameworks, but on the gradual rebuilding of the networks, partnerships, and institutional relationships that sustained EU-UK scientific cooperation prior to Brexit.

“Understanding EU Research Diaspora Organisations: Science Diplomacy, Strategic Priorities, and Member Perspectives” (March 2026).

“The Experiences, Challenges, and Perceptions of EU Researchers in the UK in the Post-Brexit Landscape” (February 2026).

This report analyses the experiences, challenges, and future intentions of EU researchers working and living in the United Kingdom in the post-Brexit context. Based on a quantitative survey conducted in 2025, it provides evidence to inform policy debates on research mobility and EU-UK scientific relations.

Drawing on responses from EU researchers across disciplines and career stages, the study examines key aspects of their professional and personal situations, including employment conditions, participation in EU research programmes, immigration and mobility, and perceptions of the UK and EU research ecosystems. While not statistically representative, the findings offer a broad snapshot of shared trends and concerns within this community.

Overall, the report highlights a tension between the continued strengths of the UK research environment and the growing constraints associated with Brexit. Administrative burdens, funding uncertainties, visa challenges, and limited career prospects emerge as significant pressures. The report concludes by emphasising the need for supportive policies and institutional practices to sustain the UK’s attractiveness to EU research talent and maintain strong international research links.

“Best Practices and Recommendations for the Sustainability of EU Research Diaspora Organisations in the UK” (October 2025).

This report explores the organisational development, challenges, and opportunities of national EU research diaspora organisations based in the United Kingdom. These associations, largely volunteer-led, connect researchers abroad through community building, scientific exchange, and representation in both research and policy arenas.

Drawing on focus group discussions with representatives from 13 organisations, the study analyses three core areas: professionalisation, funding strategies, and sustainability through membership engagement. While the focus group does not reflect the full diversity of experiences across the sector, it provides a useful snapshot of shared challenges and approaches, encompassing both long-established and newly formed associations.

The report concludes with best practices and recommendations to strengthen the resilience of EU research diaspora organisations in the UK. These include gradually formalising structures while maintaining flexibility, supporting volunteers through paid administrative roles, diversifying funding sources, fostering collaboration with peer organisations, and ensuring continuity through structured leadership handovers and intergenerational engagement.

“The Pivotal Role of EU Research Diasporas in EU-UK Scientific and Diplomatic Relations” published in Science & Diplomacy.

Authors: Virginia Alejandra Amigo Dotras, Afonso Bento, Jean-Christophe Mauduit, Nathalie van Meurs, Carla Molteni, Magdalena Mroczek, Arttu Rajantie, Ana Valadas, Jure Vrhunc, Javier Pardo-Diaz.