Hole in UK science budget for Horizon Europe membership plugged

A steep cut to funding for research and development this year looks to have been averted. Last week, the government announced it would make £250 million available to support the UK’s association to Europe’s seven-year research programme.

It had been feared that this year’s bill for Horizon Europe – thought to be around £1 billion – would have to be met from UKRI’s core budget, prompting widespread outcry from the UK’s research community. Instead, alongside the new money from the Treasury, around £750 million of uncommitted funds held by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is expected to plug the gap.