Universities are one of the biggest funders of UK research, investing £6.2bn annually to support a thriving research base which delivers benefits across society. One of the most visible signs of pressure is the growing shortfall between the true cost of research and what universities actually recover. While UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) aims to fund research at 80 per cent of its full economic cost, recent data from the Office for Students shows that universities recover just 69 per cent on average – down from 74 per cent in 2018-19. The value of grants erodes quickly when salaries, energy bills and infrastructure costs keep rising but funding levels do not. And with inflation still high, many universities will have to make tough decisions about which research to support in future.
