Labour expects longer-term research grants if it wins election

Shadow science minister Chi Onwurah says long-term funding would improve researcher wellbeing and diversity

Labour’s shadow science minister has said the party expects to provide longer-term contracts for researchers if it gains power in the upcoming general election.

Chi Onwurah put more flesh on the bones of an announcement made at Labour’s annual conference last autumn that it would provide 10-year R&D budgets to key institutions, including the national funder UK Research and Innovation, outlining that this would translate into longer grants.