News
The team produce a quarterly newsletter to provide information on funding opportunities, events and internationalisation activity.
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Download previous newsletters from our archive:
Newsletters from the collaboration on regnerative immunology between the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Manchester:
Events
H2020/Horizon Europe - Financial Management and Post-Award Reporting held on 14th November 2023 - Slides available
Horizon Europe – Engaging with the Programme and Proposal Submission - Webinar: 16th November 10:00 – 12:00
Branwen Hide from the UK Research Office (UKRO) will be presenting an online Horizon Europe session, this event will look at Horizon Europe including association, engaging with the programme and proposal submission.
The session will give a general introduction to the Horizon Europe Programme and will provide advice on proposal preparation including setting up project budgets and cost categories
University staff involved with Horizon Europe proposal preparation, including preparation of budgets and advising research staff, should try to attend.
You can join the Horizon Europe event at:
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting [teams.microsoft.com]
Meeting ID: 365 814 952 502
Passcode: 4axLm3
News
EU Update - Horizon Europe Association and Transitional Arrangements 2023/2024
The UK Government and the European Commission have reached an agreement in principle on the association of the UK to the Horizon Europe and Copernicus programmes under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). Once the relevant protocol of the TCA is signed the UK will officially associate to Horizon Europe as of 1 January 2024. UK organisations will be able to apply for and obtain EU funding and lead projects for the vast majority of upcoming calls that will be opening throughout the autumn.
- UK applicants to calls under the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2023 should continue to apply to Horizon Europe calls as beneficiaries, and, if successful, they will continue to be funded as an Associated Partner under the UK Guarantee scheme and will still not sign the EU Grant Agreement. The Guarantee scheme is expected to be extended shortly.
- For calls under the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2024, successful UK applicants will be funded as an Associated Country by the EU.
To clarify the terminology:
- Associated Partner – This is a Third Country role/status which is NOT Commission funded, for the UK this is funded by the guarantee. The UK cannot coordinate/lead projects as an Third Country/Associated Partner.
- Associated Country – From 1st January 2024 (including 2024 calls issued towards the end of 2023) the UK will be an Associated Country and will be eligible for Commission funding as a full Beneficiary on HE projects. The UK can coordinate/lead projects as an Associated Country.
The terminology can be confusing, however, nothing will change in the way we submit proposals to HE, we continue to apply as a full Beneficiary with an EU budget as we have done over the past few years for Horizon Europe, however, for 2024 calls we will NOT change status to Associated Partner if we are successful, we will remain a full Beneficiary and claim our costs from the Commission.
£15 million funding to strengthen health workforce in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana
UK delivers multi-million pound boost in Africa to strengthen health workforce and build resilience against global threats.
- £15 million from government’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget allocated to support healthcare workforces in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana
- Funding will help upskill staff and improve health outcomes through improved administration, data collection and training and retention opportunities
- Supporting strong international health workforce better equips UK to tackle global health challenges
The UK will provide a multi-million pound boost to support healthcare staff recruitment and retention in 3 African countries - Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana - supporting resilience against global health challenges.
Fifteen million pounds from the ring-fenced Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget for 2022 to 2025 will be committed to optimise, build and strengthen the health workforce in the 3 African countries. Recognising the importance of the health workforce in lower and middle income countries in improving health outcomes and achieving universal health coverage, the funding will enable people in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana access to the full range of health services they need, when they need it.
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for the UK to co-operate closely with international partners to tackle global health threats, which put considerable pressure on the NHS. The pandemic also resulted in workforce retention pressures around the world, while the demand for healthcare staff has increased. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates a shortage of 10 million health workers globally by 2030, which threatens achieving global universal health coverage and could worsen worldwide health inequalities.
Addressing critical workforce challenges is key to strengthening health systems and building global resilience against future pandemics so people across the world - including in the UK - can be protected.
Six million pounds from the ODA funding pledge will support the WHO to deliver health workforce planning and capacity-building work - such as improved administration systems and training and retention opportunities - in collaboration with local governments and health system stakeholders.
As part of this package, the Department of Health and Social Care will also run a £9 million 2-year competitive grant scheme for a not-for-profit organisation to coordinate delivery of partnership work in participating countries.
The partnership programmes for the health workforce include linking UK institutions with local health systems, promoting skills exchanges and improving the curriculum, regulation and guidance in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana.
The delivery coordinator will be responsible for setting up, funding and overseeing this work to drive improvement in quality and retention of healthcare staff in the 3 countries and ultimately help to ensure better outcomes for patients.
The funding builds on £5 million previously committed as part of the Building the Future International Workforce ODA programme in Ghana, Uganda and Somaliland which aims to improve health workforce planning and management, provide training opportunities for refugees and displaced people and link NHS institutions with country health institutions.
Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana were chosen for the ODA award as they showed a clear need for workforce support, evidenced by high population mortality rates and low staff numbers, as well as unemployment among their trained health workers.
Funding for ‘greener’ international travel
Colleagues say our top up fund for reducing emissions is easy to access – and opens up new ways of working
Further details
Horizon Europe Guarantee fund awards £1bn in grants
The funding is enabling them to participate in Horizon Europe projects while the UK’s association to the flagship EU funding programme is delayed.
Also today the government has set out its prospectus for a programme to protect and support the UK research and innovation sector, should it be required.
The guarantee fund is delivered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). It supports researchers and innovators who have been successful in Horizon Europe competitions but cannot receive EU funding due to the delays to the UK’s association to the programme. With guarantee funding they can continue their important work in research and innovation.
These exciting three-year programmes bring together international, interdisciplinary teams of academics and wider stakeholders to find new approaches to major challenges and catalyse change in industry, practice, policy and society. The programmes focus on ‘Chinese Global Orders’, ‘A Just Transitions Framework for Equitable and Sustainable Mitigation of Antimicrobial Resistance’, and ‘The Times of Just Transitions’ and will bring an innovative convening approach to these important and diverse international issues. The Academy is looking forward to working with the teams and taking forward this new scheme.
Building on our work with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, we are pleased to announce the appointment of a new Innovation Fellow (Route B) who will be working on issues related to the conflict in Ukraine, with a particular focus on the Russian economy and sanctions. We already have three Innovation Fellows working in the heart of government and bringing new perspectives to issues ranging from law, values and ethics in the international digital and telecommunications environment to the regional politics of South-East Asia.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global concern, with 10 million annual deaths and US$100 trillion projected cost to the global economy by 2050 if no action is taken. Like climate change, AMR is a multi-sectoral, borderless problem that disproportionately affects the poorest, and requires collective action and coordinated efforts. Urgent, system-wide change is needed to avoid a future where antimicrobials do not work, and common infections become life-threatening. Current efforts focus on solutions developed in high-income settings, which neglect structural challenges, particularly for poor communities where the disease burden is highest. We aim to develop a framework for Just Transitions toward equitable and sustainable solutions to mitigate AMR. Our proposal outlines strategies to engage diverse groups of stakeholders to devise fair policies and regulatory tools, and has the potential to transform approaches to tackling AMR. Synergies with Just Transitions for agriculture and climate will have wider planetary health benefits.
