Inflation set to wipe out three-year boost to UKRI budget

RPN analysis reveals no real-terms increase at agency, though wider government R&D spending outstrips inflation

Inflation will have wiped out recent increases in the budget of UK Research and Innovation by the end of the financial year, according to analysis by Research Professional News, prompting warnings that big increases in public R&D funding are “not being channelled through” the agency.

At the same time, public spending on research and development more widely will have risen substantially faster than inflation if the government hits its target of investing £20 billion this year, which it expects to do.