By Boudewijn Devanicus
Just before Christmas, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published its 2026–30 budget allocations, outlining significant changes to how it plans, manages and deploys funding, described by UKRI as the most substantial shift since its creation. Last week’s open letter from UKRI Chief Executive Ian Chapman adds helpful clarity, particularly around curiosity-driven research and alignment with national priorities.
For UWE Bristol researchers, these changes affect how funding is framed, assessed and positioned – even where the underlying research remains unchanged. We encourage you to read the full UKRI explainer blog to understand details behind these changes.
A new way of organising UKRI funding
UKRI’s £38.6bn budget for 2026–30 is now structured around four outcome focused areas rather than individual Research Councils:
- Curiosity driven research (investigator-led, responsive mode)
- Strategic government and societal priorities (mission-led, challenge-focused)
- Supporting innovative companies (translation, scaleup, commercialisation)
- Enabling and strengthening UK R&D (infrastructure, skills, institutes, platforms)
Across the four years, this includes:
- £14.5bn for curiosity-driven foundational research
- £8.3bn for targeted R&D addressing government and societal priorities
- £7.4bn to support innovative companies to start, scale and stay in the UK
- £8.4bn for skills, talent, infrastructure and national facilities underpinning all three areas
What this means for UWE researchers:
Expect more cross-council, outcome-driven calls. When shaping projects, consider which ‘bucket’ your work sits in, and frame your plans in terms of the outcomes UKRI is now emphasising.
Growing emphasis on the Industrial Strategy and IS-8
UKRI will increasingly align its programmes with the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, particularly its eight priority sectors (the IS8): Advanced Manufacturing; Clean Energy Industries; Creative Industries; Defence; Digital & Technologies (including AI, Quantum and Engineering Biology); Life Sciences; Financial Services; and Professional & Business Services.
More funding will flow through UKRI-managed, Industrial Strategy-aligned programmes rather than traditional council-specific routes. Exactly how this framing will shape calls, assessment processes or partnership expectations is still emerging (see this Substack for a more detailed analysis of what problems this reorganisation may be trying to solve), with more detail expected in forthcoming Strategic Delivery Plans.
What this means for UWE researchers:
It’s useful to consider how your work can be articulated in relation to the IS8, directly or indirectly, alongside its disciplinary strengths and societal relevance. You might also reflect on how your research connects to UWE’s four RISE Beacons and, through them, to IS8 sectors (e.g., how work under “Shaping integrated healthcare” links to Life Sciences and NHS transformation). Additionally, consider alignment with major national agendas such as the NHS Long Term Plan or the AI for Science Strategy, and with regional strengths and priorities in the West of England.
Fundamental research and research not aligned to IS-8 is still valued
Curiosity-driven, fundamental research remains central to the system, reflected in its substantial share of total funding. UKRI is also retaining a meaningful “wider priorities” category within its strategic and innovation portfolios, enabling investment in nationally important areas that do not fit neatly within the IS8, such as climate adaptation; environmental resilience; space; and food, animal and plant health.
What this means for UWE researchers:
If you work in discovery-led research:
- continue developing proposals and articulate the originality, long-term public value and intellectual ambition of your work clearly;
- look out for new responsive-mode opportunities as headroom increases later this year.
How the BID team can support you
If you’d like to explore what these changes mean for your work, Centre, School or College, the BID team can help with early conversations about alignment and positioning, horizon scanning and funder intelligence, and strategic discussions about how your research connects to the newly articulated UKRI priorities. You can find out who would be best to contact on the BID team staff intranet page. Meanwhile, if the growth in commercialisation funding has prompted thinking about how your ideas could lead to new products, services or tools, or spin-outs and social enterprises, or policy outputs, start a conversation early with the Impact and Commercialisation team.