Council overseeing university research in England announces changes to funding streams from 2027

Research England, the council of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) responsible for overseeing university research and knowledge transfer in England, has announced changes to several targeted funding streams from the 2027 to 2028 academic year while maintaining core research and knowledge exchange funding.

UKRI, a non-departmental public body of the UK Government that directs research and innovation funding, announced on 04/11/2026 that the changes follow "a period of engagement with the English higher education sector and ongoing institutional conversations".

UKRI’s strategy commits to sustaining core quality-related research funding for English universities in real terms, with at least £2.2 billion (€2.64bn) a year over the Spending Review period (2026 to 2030).

But UKRI said that greater…