Recommendation 118

The decision to reduce UK ODA spend from 0.7% to 0.5% of GNI, and the implications this has for the financing of UK academic research, has been criticised by the higher education sector, especially in Scotland, with Universities Scotland saying: [ … ] the scale of cuts is significantly higher than expected, at an eye watering 70% according to the latest estimates. The implications of this announcement appear to be completely at odds with the UK Government’s bold ambitions [in the UK Government R&D Roadmap] to make the UK a science superpower and increase investment in research and development and with the UK’s stated aim to recast itself as a “global Britain” in the wake of Brexit. [ … ] UKRI have indicated that they will have to reprofile and reduce grants and may have to terminate some projects that are already in progress. This is previously unheard of. Doing so would abandon many communities in low and middle income countries around the world [ … ]. 261 HMG, ‘UK Research and Development Roadmap’, accessed 20 April 2021 262 HMG, ‘UK Research and Development Roadmap’, accessed 20 April 2021 263 Q118 264 Q119 265 Q5 266 “UUK response to government’s research and innovation roadmap”, Universities UK, 1 July 2020 267 House of Commons Library, ‘Spending Review: Reducing the 0.7% aid commitment’, accessed 19 April 2021 268 “UKRI required to review Official Development Assistance funding”, UKRI, 11 March 2021 269 “UKRI required to review Official Development Assistance funding”, UKRI, 11 March 2021 46 Universities and Scotland It threatens to undermine the trust we and mutual respect have built up with our partners, over decades, as an essential component of overseas development. It sends a message about what the UK does and does not value, which is fundamentally at odds with the values of Scotland’s universities. It poses a huge financial risk to the sector and a risk to jobs and the prospects of early career researchers. Ultimately, termination before completion is a