Additional support for UK R&D amid Horizon Europe impasse

The UK government is providing a support package worth nearly £500 million for the research sector amid continuing delays to the country’s association to European research programmes. The package includes £130 million to help universities strengthen their research capabilities and retain talent, £200 million for research infrastructure and over £120 million for nuclear fusion projects.

Announcing the new funds, science minister George Freeman acknowledged the ‘significant uncertainty’ faced by the research sector over the last 19 months caused by the lack of access to EU research programmes. Full UK association to programmes like Horizon Europe has been blocked amid a political dispute between the UK government and the European commission.