The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has recently discontinued its financial support for an aircraft designated for airborne atmospheric measurements, citing worries that it no longer offers good value for the investment. This move occurs during a time of uncertainty in the scientific community, as multiple research councils have halted grants, and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is facing a budget shortfall. The lack of communication, particularly concerning alterations to research grant frameworks, is exacerbating fears about potential funding cuts.
The House of Lords science and technology committee has received an unparalleled volume of correspondence from stakeholders concerned about the fate of fundamental research. In spite of these anxieties, Science Minister Patrick Vallance reassured the committee in March that research driven by curiosity is still protected. He stated that fundamental investigator-led research remains a priority and has been continually emphasized in governmental funding decisions, despite rigorous budget examinations.
Nonetheless, this assurance appears not to have effectively reached the broader scientific community, with Vallance attributing this to inadequate communication from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the main funding entity. Vallance remarked that although there were temporary suspensions in grant applications from councils supporting biology, biotechnology, and physical sciences, these were due to systemic adjustments rather than budget reductions. However, he recognized that the transition is proving to be difficult, necessitating some considerable trade-offs.
Ian Chapman, the CEO of UKRI, admitted to communication shortcomings during a House of Commons committee meeting in February. He later wrote to Chi Onwurah, the chair of the committee, providing comprehensive details about the funding modifications, outlining a change in how funding is distributed and invested through UKRI. Instead of a simple reclassification, the adjustments involve a fundamental overhaul of the funding flow within the organization, complicating year-to-year budget comparisons.
Chapman’s correspondence explained a new ‘bucket’ funding model. Funds are now categorized by outcomes rather than academic fields. Within this structure, curiosity-driven research is placed in the primary bucket alongside research council-based, applicant-led funding. Subsequent buckets are designated for cross-disciplinary and cross-council initiatives. Budget distributions for curiosity-driven research are anticipated to keep increasing, with Chapman underscoring the necessity of retaining flexibility in budget allocations across various sectors.
The STFC faces intensified scrutiny against this backdrop, especially after communication from its executive chair, Michele Dougherty, concerning the management of potential budget reductions. With a predicted deficit of £162 million by 2029–30, largely due to overambitious planning, Dougherty is exploring alternative funding avenues for support. She expects UKRI to help cover the immediate £50 million gap, although the council’s dependence on substantial infrastructure, in addition to fundamental research, complicates matters.
Vallance acknowledged the challenges at the STFC, emphasizing overspending on facilities, notably for international rather than domestic projects, which has strained the overall funding framework. He stressed the necessity for a sustainable and strategic approach to funding infrastructure.
A collective of nearly 60 physicists has raised concerns in an open letter to Vallance, warning that budget cuts to STFC may lead to smaller research teams and reduce the UK’s ability to conduct groundbreaking research, particularly on pivotal international programs that could influence competitiveness for decades to come.
In the midst of this upheaval, Daniel Rathbone from the Campaign for Science and Engineering commended UKRI for recognizing its communication errors. However, he expressed ongoing worries about the criteria and reasoning behind the new funding allocations, particularly their impact on curiosity-led research.