TSL statement on the outcome of the EU referendum

The Sainsbury Laboratory is a world leading institute addressing the global challenge of food security.

TSL is proud to be an international organisation, and as such we employ 42% of our staff from other countries in the EU and a further 24% from the rest of the world. To maintain our status as a world-leading research institute we must be able to continue to hire the best, regardless of nationality. If immigration rules are changed significantly as a result of leaving the EU this could affect the quality and impact of our science. We urge the UK Government to take these concerns into account when negotiating any new deal with the EU.

A fifth of our external funding comes from the EU, double the average amount of EU funding received by UK universities. This funding enables us to collaborate with colleagues across Europe and the world and to make sure our science is the best in the world and can deliver the solutions to food security the world so desperately needs.

If we are no longer able to access these funds, our financial sustainability and scientific excellence will be at risk.