Brexit batters science job market

By Nic Fleming

THE uncertainties caused by Brexit are set to dramatically influence the UK’s ability to attract and retain top scientists and engineers. That’s the conclusion from a survey of over 4000 people working in science and engineering, carried out by New Scientist and science recruitment firm SRG.

The survey gathered data from around 4300 individuals working as scientists, engineers, academics, and in clinical trials. More than 2500 were based in the UK and almost 900 in continental Europe. The remainder, based in the US, were not asked about Brexit.

Almost two-thirds of managers who recruit scientists and engineers in the UK believe Brexit will affect their ability to attract top talent from within the European Union. Many also think the referendum result will make it more difficult to retain existing staff.

That’s despite the UK government’s declaration in December that around 3 million EU citizens living in the UK will be able to apply for the right to stay indefinitely following Brexit.

“Science is incredibly international and our labs are full of people from Europe and elsewhere,” says Jennifer Rohn, a cell biologist at University College London, and founder of the campaign group Science is Vital. “Even if people are allowed to stay, they quite rightly feel a sense of uneasiness at the idea they are not wanted and don’t want to be in a place that’s closing its doors to the rest of the world.”

 Some 63 per cent of UK-based participants responsible for hiring staff thought Brexit would affect their recruitment activities during 2018-19. Four in 10 said it would make it harder to retain existing staff, and 30 per cent believed it would mean they would have to recruit more staff from within the UK. The worries are less pronounced in mainland Europe where a third thought Brexit would have an impact on their recruitment efforts.

“Brexit will have an impact on scientists, but at the moment we do not know what the impact will be, and that is creating great uncertainty,” said Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society, the UK science academy. “National polling has shown the public support migration of highly skilled people. Our government should listen to that and ensure we do not create a system that pushes people away from the UK as a place to come, live and work.”

Much of the uncertainty is linked to future funding for science. The UK government has said that UK-based researchers can continue to apply for funding under Horizon 2020, the EU’s pooled research funding scheme, until it ends in 2020. After that the UK may be able to pay to participate, like other non-EU members such as Switzerland, Norway and Israel. However, that idea remains under discussion.

“I don’t want to live in a narrow-minded, Brexit-voting Little England”

Anecdotal reports suggest uncertainties over future funding and the ability to participate in and lead EU-funded collaborations are already making the UK less attractive to foreign scientists.

Among UK-based respondents to the New Scientist/SRG survey who said they would consider relocating for work, 32 per cent said Brexit would affect where they would consider moving to. One wrote, “I don’t want to live in a narrow-minded, Brexit-voting ‘Little England’.” Another wrote, “I find the atmosphere pessimistic and I’m sorry to see less cross-border projects with the EC in the future.”

Of those based in continental Europe and willing to move for work, 38 per cent said Brexit would affect their choice of location. One wrote: “As a European, I might not be able to go to the UK in the future. I also feel less welcome there now.”

A UK government spokesperson told New Scientist: “It is important that Britain and the EU ensure that their research communities can continue to access the high-level skills that support innovation in science and technology. We are carefully considering the options for a future immigration system but are clear that the UK will remain an open country that attracts the brightest and the best researchers.”

This article was written and edited independently by New Scientist