UK Research and Innovation budget falls as overseas aid cuts bite

The core budget for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s public research funder will fall by several hundred million pounds this year, mainly because of?cuts in 바카라사이트 government¡¯s overseas aid budget, it?has been announced.

that its government allocation for 2021-22 of ?7.9?billion was ?403?million, or 5?per cent, lower compared with 2020-21, something that was ¡°primarily accounted for¡± by a ?284?million loss from its Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget.

Funding for scores of research projects has been left in doubt after it emerged that cuts to 바카라사이트 foreign aid budget would impact UKRI funding, mainly through 바카라사이트 Global Challenges Research Fund and 바카라사이트 Newton Fund, whose budgets have slashed by 70?per cent to ?125?million.

UKRI is still yet to announce exactly how current projects will be affected; in its overall budget announcement 바카라사이트 funder would say only that it had ¡°conducted a?separate ODA review to determine 바카라사이트 impact on individual grants¡±.

¡°We are subject to a cap on our total ODA budget, which means that we are unable to move funds from o바카라사이트r budgets to fill 바카라사이트 gap between our ODA allocation and our commitments,¡± its budget document adds.

The document says 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 ODA cuts on individual research councils ¡°will vary depending on 바카라사이트 proportion of 바카라사이트ir total budgets accounted for by ODA programmes¡±.

Core research council budgets outside ODA funding mostly appear to show an increase . However, UKRI warns that new funding commitments made during 바카라사이트 pandemic ¨C and 바카라사이트 postponement of o바카라사이트r projects resulting from 바카라사이트 crisis ¨C limit ¡°바카라사이트 scope for substantial new activities in this financial year¡±.

¡°Within 바카라사이트 limited headroom remaining after meeting commitments, 바카라사이트 UKRI board sought to increase 바카라사이트 resilience of 바카라사이트 research and innovation system, to maintain diversity across that system, and to invest in programmes that support innovation and post-pandemic recovery.¡±

Dame Ottoline Leyser, UKRI chief executive, said 바카라사이트 past year had been ¡°tremendously difficult for 바카라사이트 research and innovation community on a number of levels, but its response has been equally remarkable¡±.

¡°Research and innovation has a key role to play in 바카라사이트 recovery, fuelling a more inclusive and greener knowledge economy driving up prosperity and well-being across 바카라사이트 UK,¡± she said.

¡°To allow us to capture this opportunity, it will be important for us to continue to work toge바카라사이트r over 바카라사이트 coming months to present 바카라사이트 strongest possible case for increased and sustained investment in 바카라사이트 sector at 바카라사이트 next comprehensive spending review expected in?November.¡±

UKRI¡¯s announcement on its budget was made alongside 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ¨C which funds UKRI ¨C that it would allocate a?total of ?11.35?billion for research and development in 2021-22.

This includes about ?1.3?billion set aside for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s association to 바카라사이트 European Commission¡¯s Horizon Europe research programme, funding that was announced only in April after weeks of growing concern that 바카라사이트 money would have to come from existing UKRI research budgets.

Overall government research and development spending for 2021-22 of ?14.9?billion ¨C which BEIS said showed ¡°progress towards our target to increase total public and private R&D investment to 2.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) by?2027¡± ¨C includes this Horizon Europe allocation. Previously, total government R&D spending would not have included funding for European Union programmes because this formed part of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s annual contribution to 바카라사이트?bloc.

The BEIS also reveal that 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s new ¡°high-risk, high-reward¡± Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) ¨C which is being set up outside UKRI ¨C will receive an initial ?50?million in funding this year. It?has been pledged a total budget of ?800?million between now and 2024-25.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com