Recommendation 23

While targeted measures to strengthen research security are important, they cannot be considered in isolation from the wider structural pressures facing UK universities. Financial constraints, reliance on international student income and weaknesses in the domestic talent pipeline in key subjects such as physics and engineering all shape institutional incentives. Without addressing these underlying factors, efforts to improve research security may be limited in impact. Building a clearer evidence base on the domestic talent pipeline in critical disciplines is essential. (Conclusion, Paragraph 91)