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Euro-MP saves funding for PhD students
Monday, 17 June 2002 The European Parliament today voted in favour of an amendment tabled by East Midlands MEP Roger Helmer which will save EU funding for British PhD students. EU funding of £650m would have been denied to British scholars by a requirement that recipients have completed a four-year PhD. Most British doctorates are completed in three years. Mr Helmer's amendment now ensures that a three-year PhD is the qualification for funds, allowing UK researchers to apply for the fellowships. The decision to grant new funds was taken at the Lisbon summit in 2000 when leaders decided to try to make Europe "the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world within ten years". Around €800 million were allocated for the new fellowships, and thanks to Conservative MEP Roger Helmer British PhD students will be able to benefit. Speaking from the European Parliament in Strasbourg after today's vote Euro-MP Roger Helmer, who is the Research Spokesman for the Conservative Delegation, said: "I am delighted with today's result. My amendment will guarantee that Universities in the East Midlands can compete fairly for European funds." "With millions of pounds worth of research funds at stake, it was vital we win today's vote. The European Commission's original proposal represented a gross inequality and threatened a significant amount of important potential research." |