The Business Secretary, Grant Shapps, announced a targeted investment of £484 million to support UK research following the UK’s continued stalemate with the EU over accession to Horizon Europe.
These investments will provide targeted support for staff retention and local talent strategies at eligible universities and research organisations, as well as making sure the UK labs remain world class and at the cutting edge of R&D.
This builds on the Horizon Europe guarantee scheme, extended in September, which continues to provide funding for eligible, successful UK winners of Horizon Europe calls to ensure UK researchers and businesses can continue to collaborate internationally.
The Government remains disappointed that the EU is still linking UK association with wider issues, and the UK remains open to association, but cannot wait indefinitely.
The overall package includes:
- £30 million Talent and Research Stabilisation Fund. This will provide targeted support to eligible universities and research organisations who have a track record in attracting direct talent-based funding from the EU, to help them retain talent and address vulnerabilities at a local level
- £100 million Quality-Related (QR) funding for English universities with additional funding for the Devolved Administrations. This will complement the Talent and Research Stabilisation Fund to deliver a one-off boost to enable universities to strengthen research capabilities – for example employing research staff, technicians or sustaining new areas of research – which are vital to the UK’s reputation for excellent research
Business Secretary Grant Shapps said, “This immediate investment will help our excellent research sector to shore up their talent pools, invest confidently in infrastructure and protect the UK’s reputation as a science superpower.”
