Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Funding for Academic Research

Monday 21 June 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government are investing 14.9 billion on research and development in 2021-22
  • Changes to the level of official development assistance quality-related funding has been applied equally across the four nations of the Union
  • Government's research ODA spend includes the global challenges research fund

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Philippa Whitford SNP
Science & Technology
Context

Recent discussions on the allocation of Government funding to academic institutions for research.

Question

What recent discussions has he had with Cabinet colleagues on the allocation of Government funding to academic institutions for research?

Answer from Michelle Donelan

The Government are investing £14.9 billion on research and development in 2021-22, the highest level for four decades. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy provides funding for academic researchers through UK Research and Innovation and the national academies, and published detailed allocations in May.

Answered
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Q2 Philippa Whitford SNP
Education Science & Technology
Context

The UKRI's global challenges research fund was set up to promote international collaboration on global issues, but the funding promised in 2019 has now been cut in half due to a reduction in overseas aid.

Question

How will the Minister get academics to commit time and energy in the future when they cannot trust this Government to honour their commitments?

Answer from Michelle Donelan

The changes to the level of official development assistance quality-related funding made available to universities has been applied equally across the four nations of the Union. The Government's research ODA spend includes the global challenges research fund, which has been allocated in line with the thematic rather than geographic priorities of the strategic framework for UK ODA, prioritising high-value-for-money projects and existing legal commitments.

Partly answered

Not addressed: How to get academics to commit time and energy when they cannot trust this Government's reliability in funding research projects.

How: The Changes Have Been Applied Equally Across The Nations.

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