You wouldn’t have a football world cup without the best teams, and equally you shouldn’t have a research programme without the best scientists, says Maria Leptin on the UK’s return to the fold

The Commission looks to extend the Arise funding scheme for early career researchers in Africa, as France’s Research Institute for Development leads talks on a new research alliance

In her speech to MEPs, Ursula von der Leyen also called for an equivalent body to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, with a brief to ‘set minimum global standards” for safe and ethical use of AI

Some university leaders are encouraged by UK joining, while one now feels ‘alone in Europe’. Meanwhile, in the latest severing of links, the Commission has shut the Swiss out of a university translation network

Member states due to officially confirm Iliana Ivanova as new commissioner for research, innovation and education next week

University heads from the UK and Germany are meeting in Hamburg to discuss restoring collaboration. But it could perhaps take up to five years to get back on track, one warns

As the EU’s 10-year graphene flagship project comes to an end, spin-offs and other start-ups in its orbit give their verdict on its achievements and look to maintaining momentum - as they search for continuing support

Canada is closest to a deal for access to EU R&D programme. Japan, South Korea and Switzerland are also in line. But local political and budget issues may make access slower than researchers hope

London won’t rejoin the EU’s Euratom programme after missing out on too many big fusion construction contracts. It could find a workaround to stay partially involved in ITER, but that will need agreement of the project’s founding members – including Russia