R&D support for universities like ‘kicking the can down the road’

University leaders and peers call for higher quality-research funding to offset coronavirus crisis losses

Government support for universities hit by the coronavirus crisis is like “kicking the can down the road”, the head of the vice-chancellors’ group Universities UK has said, as sector leaders call for an increase in quality-related research funding.

Concerns over stagnating levels of funding for quality-related (QR) research have been heard in both houses of parliament this week, ahead of an announcement on further support for university research expected by the winter.