Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Accepted
DSIT directs UKRI's research and innovation portfolio, allocating £6.0 billion in 2023-24 grant funding.
Recommendation
As the sponsoring department responsible for settings UKRI’s objectives, DSIT makes the main decisions on the shape of UKRI’s portfolio, including allocations to the research councils, using advice from UKRI.8 UKRI’s task is to advise on how best to turn these priorities into action, and then to 4 C&AG’s Report, paras 2, 3 5 C&AG’s Report, para 3 6 C&AG’s Report, para 4 7 Committee of Public Accounts, UK Research and Innovation Written evidence 8 C&AG’s Report, para 1.5 8 deliver them.9 In 2023–24 UKRI spent £6.0 billion of its budget on R&I grant funding across its research councils and Innovate UK, excluding block grants to higher education institutions in England.10
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and states that research and innovation are central to delivering each of the government’s five missions. DSIT will shortly publish new strategic objectives for UKRI, which set out the organisation’s role delivering government priorities.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
1. PAC conclusion: DSIT has not brought together a cohesive set of cross government priorities for its investment in R&I. 36 1. PAC recommendation: DSIT should set out a cohesive and comprehensive set of government priorities focused on the desired outcome for UK R&I and UKRI’s role in supporting delivery. 1.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Autumn 2025 1.2 Research and innovation are central to delivering each of the government’s five 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. 1.3 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. 1.4 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.