Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Accepted
Committee took evidence on public funding of research and innovation from key bodies.
Conclusion
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) on public funding of research and innovation.1 We also took evidence from Sir David Grant CBE, author of the Independent review of UK Research and Innovation 2022, and Professor Paul Boyle CBE, Universities UK Board Member and Vice Chancellor or Swansea University.
Government Response Summary
The government stated that UKRI will increase support for growth-driving sectors, pivot programmes towards strategic priorities, and deliver a £500 million R&D Missions Accelerator Programme. DSIT will also shortly publish new strategic objectives for UKRI, aligning with government priorities for R&D investment.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. missions. In June 2025, the Spending Review and the Industrial Strategy provided clear direction to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) around its role in enabling the government’s Plan for Change. UKRI will increase the support it provides to the growth-driving sectors outlined in the Industrial Strategy and pivot its programmes and budgets towards research and innovation priorities set out in the Sector Plans. As part of this, the £500 million R&D Missions Accelerator Programme, delivered by UKRI, will target research and innovation towards addressing priority problems facing the government’s five missions, bringing together partnerships between research and industry. The programme seeks to leverage a further £1.5 billion of private investment and generate innovation solutions that can be pulled through to adoption in the public and private sectors. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will shortly publish new strategic objectives for UKRI, which set out the organisation’s role delivering government priorities. This is discussed further at recommendation 2. These new objectives will be aligned with the government’s three priorities for investment in R&D: protecting and growing curiosity driven research; addressing government priorities and tackling societal challenges; and supporting R&D intensive companies to start-up, scale up, and stay in the UK. This approach is intended to increase strategic clarity and transparency around investment and its expected outcomes, as part of the government’s plans to reform the R&D system over the longer term around a limited set of priorities.