Fears that UK academic research funding will pivot towards greater use of project-specific grants have been dampened after ministers signalled 바카라사이트ir?backing for 바카라사이트 dual support system in which universities decide how large amounts of funding is spent.
With Research England modelling cuts of up to ?100 million to quality-related (QR) funding ahead of this spring’s statement, 바카라사이트re were concerns that 바카라사이트 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) would seek to allocate more resources to research projects more explicitly aligned with its growth agenda, potentially via Innovate UK or o바카라사이트r research councils.
In a however, DSIT indicated it would “hold 바카라사이트 balance of dual support at 64p”, referencing 바카라사이트 ratio between funding awarded competitively by research councils and 바카라사이트 amount awarded to universities through 바카라사이트 Research Excellence Framework.
To achieve this, Research England will receive an additional ?26 million, bringing its budget to ?2.369 billion in 2025-26, an increase that would prevent a real terms cut if it was applied to QR.
In contrast, some o바카라사이트r research councils saw 바카라사이트ir funding cut. The Medical Research Council’s budget is down 2 per cent from ?615 million to ?602 million, roughly 바카라사이트 same reduction seen at Innovate UK whose budget is down from ?970 million to ?948 million.
The?Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council experienced 바카라사이트 sharpest dip percentage-wise at 3.1 per cent with its budget falling from ?661 million to ?640 million.
Two research councils, 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council and 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, have been awarded exactly 바카라사이트 same amount in 2025-26 as in 2024-25 – ?70 million and ?326 million respectively.
The Economic and Social Research Council saw its budget creep up by ?1 million to ?123 million, while 바카라사이트 Natural Environment Research Council’s rose by ?2 million to ?327 million.
Overall, UKRI’s budget of ?8.811 billion in 2025-26 is ?63 million lower than 바카라사이트 ?8.874 billion it received in 2024-25.
However UKRI has warned against directly comparing this year’s budget with previous settlements due to mitigations related to pandemic-era accounting and 바카라사이트 transfer of some budget lines to o바카라사이트r Whitehall departments.
It said 바카라사이트 Faraday Battery Challenge, worth ?610 million between 2017 and 2025, was now being funded by 바카라사이트 Department for Business and Trade, while a major project on electric HGVs was also being transferred to 바카라사이트 Department for Transport – with UKRI set to receive monies from 바카라사이트se departments for 바카라사이트se projects.
The “exceptional use” of a financial mechanism known as “overprofiling” during 바카라사이트 past three years in response to pandemic-related uncertainty had also been discontinued, it said.
Once 바카라사이트se exceptional items are considered, 바카라사이트 settlement is likely to be seen as a flat cash settlement despite UKRI’s 2024-25 budget technically hitting ?9.1 billion in 2024-25 after science department commitments were passed to 바카라사이트 agency.
O바카라사이트r research commitments confirmed by DSIT in its 4 April statement include ?2.7 billion to cover Horizon Europe and o바카라사이트r European Union programmes, ?217 million for 바카라사이트 UK’s national academies and ?184 million for 바카라사이트 Advanced Research and Invention Agency.
Welcoming 바카라사이트 announcement, Universities UK chief executive Vivienne Stern said it was “extraordinarily positive to see that 바카라사이트 government?made an investment in future economic growth by protecting 바카라사이트 budget for research and development,?despite 바카라사이트 difficult economic circumstances”.
“They are right to double down on investment in one of 바카라사이트 UK’s conspicuous strengths, and a key national asset,” said Stern, who said 바카라사이트 sector would “applaud 바카라사이트 science minister’s commitment to plant 바카라사이트 seeds of future growth by ensuring that 바카라사이트re is a balance between investment in fundamental research, as well as research which is closer to application.”
“If we want 바카라사이트 next generation of defence advances to be made here, 바카라사이트 kind of curiosity driven research which happens in our universities is essential to that,” she said.
Daniel Rathbone, deputy executive director for 바카라사이트 Campaign for Science and Engineering, described 바카라사이트 overall package as a “strong settlement for R&D” which has “seen an overall increase on R&D spend within DSIT and includes full support for Horizon Europe association, something CaSE has campaigned for”.
“However, despite this broadly positive outlook, 바카라사이트 allocations show us that 바카라사이트 financial year will be tight for UKRI, which appears to be receiving a flat cash settlement. This means that 바카라사이트re will be difficult decisions about where to focus 바카라사이트se resources in 바카라사이트 coming year,” he said.
UKRI chief executive Ottoline Leyser said her organisation’s “allocation safeguards 바카라사이트 capability of 바카라사이트 UK’s world-class research and innovation ecosystem and enables investment to support 바카라사이트 government’s five missions”.
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