EPSRC reports big drop in funding for built environment

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has said it will investigate why funding for its built-environment portfolio has shrunk to less than half of what it was in 2011. It has also said it intends to grow a number of research fields including engineering design and water engineering.

The announcement follows a portfolio-monitoring exercise by the council. As part of this, 16 research areas were identified that required action to change their trajectory, address capacity concerns or account for changes in the funding environment.

The exercise was carried out in 2014 across all 113 of the EPSRC’s research areas. The resulting action plans were implemented in September 2014 and made publicly available on 18 February.