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UK government & @UKRI_News have announced their Covid-19 support package for research. Two elements: i)£280m in grant extensions & support for priority areas of R&D; ii) bulk of support in form of 10-year low-interest loans https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-protect-uk-research-jobs-with-major-support-package
It’s quite a complicated package, with more detail in these explanatory notes - including “overall balance between loans and grants will be at least 75:25 in favour of loans” & “the vast majority of research funding goes towards STEM disciplines.” https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-university-research-and-innovation-during-coronavirus-covid-19/university-research-support-package-explanatory-notes
Obviously a v welcome move, which will go some way towards easing mounting pressures on research-intensive HEIs. Aim is to cover “up to 80%” of income losses from international students, but this isn’t guaranteed.
Consultation on a wider R&D roadmap is expected to follow soon, to inform allocation of the doubling of public R&D spend from £11bn to 22bn per yr by 2024-5. According to FT, this will be launched by the PM in a speech this week https://on.ft.com/3i78S47
Though worth noting that the first big punt at the more applied end of the new strategy - £500m to OneWeb - hasn’t been, ahem, universally welcomed... https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jun/26/satellite-experts-oneweb-investment-uk-galileo-brexit?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other #classicDom
Finally, on Monday, @OttolineLeyser takes the reins as new @UKRI_CEO - so it’s set to be a pretty massive week for UK science & research policy..!
Good piece by @dkernohan @Wonkhe on what today’s research package will & won’t cover http://wonkhe.com/blogs/the-bailout-part-ii-new-government-schemes-announced-to-stabilise-university-research/. Includes important footnote reminding us that this isn’t aimed at long term issues of financial stability.
