Universities need your help now Moray's MSP tells UK Government
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The double threat of coronavirus and the potential loss of access to EU funding could result in long-term damage to Scottish university research.
That's according to Moray's MSP Richard Lochhead, who is the Higher Education Minister at Holyrood.
The Scottish Funding Council’s recent analysis suggests the country’s universities will lose around £72 million this academic year alone as a result of COVID-19.
An operating deficit of between £384 million and £651 million is also expected, due largely to the likely dramatic reduction in the number of international students, who are a major source of income for research.
As Scotland’s university courts prepare to meet to discuss their financial predicament, Mr Lochhead has written to the UK Science Minister Amanda Solloway, insisting she urgently delivers a comprehensive package of funding.
Mr Lochhead said: "It’s vital both for Scotland’s economic recovery and to protect the nation’s global reputation for science and research excellence that the UK Treasury signals substantial support for our universities in the coming days.
"The UK has aspirations of being considered a science superpower – but the institutions which can deliver on that are facing their biggest ever financial crisis.
"As well as several being seriously affected by COVID-19, they face potentially losing EU funding and talent as a result of a Brexit.
"Many universities are, right now, having to make difficult strategic financial decisions about their future.
"In the current emergency, the continued lack of clarity over funding could very soon result in the direct loss of research talent, a reduction in our research capacity and the halting or cancellation of major capital projects.
"That will have a ripple effect on the wider economy and our future global research reputation and competitiveness."
Mr Lochhead has been participating in a UK taskforce – co-chaired by Ms Solloway – to consider the challenges facing university research.
As well as the expected loss in international tuition fee income, there is also the potential reduction in business and charity funding, plus delays in crucial research projects.
Mr Lochhead said: "Scotland has already put together an emergency COVID-19 support package worth an additional £75 million for our university research sector.
"But this direct Scottish Government commitment – which has already been allocated – must be urgently complemented by a substantial UK element to ensure appropriate fiscal support is made available to Scottish universities.
"In addition, detailed arrangements following the end of the Brexit transition period are still unknown, such as whether the UK will associate to Horizon Europe research funding programme.
"The current programme Horizon 2020 has provided more than €536 million to Scottish institutions since 2014."
Scottish universities, added Mr Lochhead, receive an average of 8% of their total research funding from the EC – around £100 million per year, mostly from Horizon 2020.
He continued: "The Office of Budget Responsibility highlighted in April that universities could be the sector of the economy worst hit by the pandemic.
"Therefore it’s now more critical than ever to announce as a matter of urgency a UK-backed stabilisation package for Scottish university research.
"It's a sector which most recently has been making such a vital contribution to our efforts to fight COVID-19, and our economic and social recovery from it."
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