Failings identified in UKRI’s Covid-19 response

Response came at “substantial personal cost” with grant application system “unfit for purpose”, finds report

A report commissioned by the national research funder UK Research and Innovation has identified major issues that hindered its Covid-19 response and delayed its funding allocations.

During the pandemic, UKRI processed 6,300 additional applications in a year—roughly a 30 per cent increase in volume—at a much faster pace than usual.