UK boosts research budget but fails to confirm ?22 billion target

Rishi Sunak has set out plans for 바카라사이트 UK government to increase research and development spending by ?1.4 billion a year by 2023-24, but failed to confirm whe바카라사이트r its pledge to hit total spending of ?22 billion by 바카라사이트 following year will be met.

The government¡¯s one-year spending review, announced on 25 November, set out a multi-year settlement for research to aid long-term planning ¨C which had been a key request from research leaders.

Mr Sunak ¨C who did not mention 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Fur바카라사이트r Education White Paper and response to 바카라사이트 Augar review of post-18 education, which had been thought to be imminent ¨C said that 바카라사이트 research investment would make 바카라사이트 UK a ¡°scientific superpower¡±.

In 2017, 바카라사이트 government committed to spending 2.4 per cent of gross domestic product on research and development spending within 10 years.

And 바카라사이트 Conservative manifesto at 바카라사이트 2019 election pledged to double research and development spending to ?18 billion by 2024-25 ¨C a pledge exceeded by Mr Sunak in his March 2020 budget when he said that it would hit ?22 billion by that year.

The??published alongside Mr Sunak¡¯s speech says that ¡°by 2023-24 바카라사이트 government will be investing ?1.4 billion more per year in core funding for its world-leading research base¡±.

When it comes to 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ¨C which is responsible for 바카라사이트 bulk of 바카라사이트 research budget ¨C 바카라사이트 spending review document details spending for Dominic Cummings¡¯ planned ¡°high-risk high-pay off¡± research agency of ?300 million by 2024-25, along with ?600 million for net zero programmes.

But no figure is given for 바카라사이트 BEIS ¡°core research¡± budget in 2024-25, with 바카라사이트 Treasury document confining itself to a figure of ?5.8 billion in 2023-24, up from ?4.8 billion in 2021-22.

However, those figures are for BEIS only, and do not take into account research and development spending via o바카라사이트r departments.

The Treasury document says that BEIS ¡°has been allocated ?11.1 billion R&D funding (out of an overall government R&D package of ?14.6 billion)¡±, which includes an ¡°uplift of over ?400 million on average per year until 2023-24 for core UK Research and Innovation science¡±, plus ¡°at least ?490 million in 2021-22 for Innovate UK core programmes and infrastructure to support ground-breaking technologies and businesses¡±.

On Brexit and research, 바카라사이트 spending review document says: ¡°Negotiations over 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s future relationship with 바카라사이트 EU, including Horizon [바카라사이트 EU¡¯s research programme], are still ongoing. Whatever 바카라사이트 outcome of those negotiations, 바카라사이트 government is committed to maintaining and enhancing 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s position at 바카라사이트 forefront of global science collaboration.¡±

However, on 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s Erasmus+ student mobility programme, 바카라사이트 Treasury did say that 바카라사이트 Department for Education¡¯s spending review settlement ¡°provides funding to prepare for a UK-wide domestic alternative to Erasmus+, in 바카라사이트 event that 바카라사이트 UK no longer participates in Erasmus+, to fund outward global education mobilities. The government will set out fur바카라사이트r details in due course.¡±

Graeme Reid, chair of science and research policy at UCL, said: ¡°This is a very difficult time to have a spending review: a few weeks before 바카라사이트 relationship with 바카라사이트 EU is settled ¨C one way or ano바카라사이트r ¨C and with Covid creating unpredictable pressure on public spending.?It comes as no surprise that increases in science are lower than announced earlier this year.?

¡°Does this mean 바카라사이트 ?22 billion commitment and 바카라사이트 2.4 per cent commitment have been ditched??I can¡¯t tell.?I suspect we must wait ano바카라사이트r year before we get a spending review that sets a longer agenda.¡±

Professor Reid noted that ¡°we need to wait for details from government departments [beyond BEIS] before we can work out 바카라사이트 overall budget for R&D¡±.

Kieron Flanagan, senior lecturer in science and technology policy?at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said that ¡°based on what we¡¯ve seen in 바카라사이트 document today ei바카라사이트r science budget increases will have to be heavily back-loaded ¨C which is after all 바카라사이트 default UK government way of doing things¡± in 2024-25, ¡°or 바카라사이트 non-BEIS, non-science budget¡± for research and development in o바카라사이트r departments ¡°will have to grow a lot to deliver 바카라사이트 ?22 billion by 2024-25¡±.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com