Official suggests replacements for Global Challenges Research Fund and Newton Fund could soon be finalised
There are “decisions pending” in government on how to replace major R&D programmes funded through the UK’s international aid budget, according to a senior official.
It has been over a year since Research Professional News first revealed that the government was closing two flagship programmes funded through Official Development Assistance and moving to a new model for supporting international science collaboration.
The Global Challenges Research Fund and the Newton Fund, worth around £2 billion in support of research partnerships in developing countries over their lifetimes, were both closed at the end of 2021. How they will be replaced is yet to come to light.
“I’m hoping that we’re going to get some decisions quite soon on the kind of programmes that are going to potentially be funded,” said Adam Jackson, a senior civil servant responsible for international research and innovation at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Speaking at an event on 28 February held by the vice-chancellors’ group Universities UK, Jackson said the department would “definitely like to set that out as soon as we can” and “there are decisions pending on ODA”.
Spending ‘remains tight’
He highlighted challenges over recent years in ODA spending, “partly because of economic circumstances, partly because of overall fiscal choices that the government has made, and partly because of the way the support has been provided to Ukraine”.
In 2020, the government dropped its overall aid budget from 0.7 to 0.5 per cent of gross national income—a decision that saw active GCRF and Newton Fund research projects have their annual budgets slashed by up to 70 per cent.
Last November, the chancellor Jeremy Hunt said that ODA spending would remain at 0.5 per cent for the foreseeable future.
Jackson said this means “the position remains reasonably tight”.
International Science Partnerships Fund
On a trip to Japan last December, the science minister George Freeman launched the International Science Partnerships Fund, a vehicle for global R&D collaborations, with a “first tranche” of £119 million.
The government had previously said its new model for international R&D would combine ODA and non-ODA funds.
Jackson said there is “the potential to pursue ODA funding” as part of the International Science Partnerships Fund, “as well as potentially other vehicles”.
“We’re just waiting for decisions on the overall allocations of ODA, and I’m hoping it won’t be too much longer,” Jackson said.