Universities warn that the EU-UK Research Collaboration is "On the Verge of Collapse."

Universities have called for an immediate settlement to a dispute over the UK's participation in a major EU research initiative. Universities UK, which represents 140 universities, is concerned that ministers may forsake the Horizon initiative. The position is described as "near to the precipice" in a letter to the European Commission obtained by the BBC.

The EU has hinted that the UK's involvement is linked to the dispute over Northern Ireland's post-Brexit arrangements. Horizon Europe is the EU's primary research and innovation funding initiative, with a current budget of €95.5 billion (£81.2 billion).

The United Kingdom's associate membership was accepted in principle under the 2020 Trade and Cooperation Agreement, but ministers have been working on alternatives after claiming that Brussels was blocking access. Horizon access has been branded as "collateral damage" in the standoff on the Northern Ireland Protocol, which covers post-Brexit business arrangements for Northern Ireland, by the EU's ambassador to London, Joo Vale de Almeida. According to reports, he stated that the "loss of trust" was having a "bad influence in other sectors."