What’s going on in the UK: 23 August to 6 September

This week: QR funding, Covid trials registry, Scottish postgrad push and more

UKRI talent plan

UK Research and Innovation has outlined how it will spend its annual £7.9 billion budget over the next three years, including a £2bn talent programme. Its latest corporate plan, published on 22 August, also details a £70 million cut to its operational expenditure, to boost efficiency. To support people and careers, the funder said it planned to “transform the way we invest in talent, creating a £2bn pooled talent budget”. This will support a portfolio of “flagship studentships and fellowships across career stages”, UKRI said, and it represents a 26 per cent boost in investment in these programmes by 2024-25.