{"id":8196,"date":"2026-02-05T15:10:19","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T15:10:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/?p=8196"},"modified":"2026-02-16T10:16:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T10:16:00","slug":"whats-changing-at-ukri-and-what-it-means-for-uwe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/whats-changing-at-ukri-and-what-it-means-for-uwe\/","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s\u00a0changing at UKRI \u2013 and what it means for UWE Bristol"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>By Boudewijn&nbsp;Devanicus<\/em>&nbsp;<br><em><\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just before Christmas, UK\u00a0Research\u00a0and Innovation (UKRI)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ukri.org\/publications\/explainer-ukri-budget-allocations\/budget-allocations-for-uk-research-and-innovation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">published its 2026\u201330 budget allocations, outlining significant changes<\/a>\u00a0to how it plans,\u00a0manages\u00a0and deploys funding,\u00a0described by UKRI as the most substantial shift since its creation.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ukri.org\/news\/open-letter-from-ian-chapman-to-research-and-innovation-community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Last week\u2019s open letter<\/a>\u00a0from UKRI Chief Executive Ian Chapman adds helpful clarity, particularly around\u00a0curiosity-driven\u00a0research and alignment with national priorities.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For UWE Bristol researchers, these changes affect how funding is framed,&nbsp;assessed&nbsp;and positioned &#8211; even where the underlying research&nbsp;remains&nbsp;unchanged.&nbsp;We encourage you&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ukri.org\/publications\/explainer-ukri-budget-allocations\/budget-allocations-for-uk-research-and-innovation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">to read the full UKRI&nbsp;explainer&nbsp;blog<\/a>&nbsp;to understand details behind these changes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A new way of organising UKRI funding<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UKRI\u2019s \u00a338.6bn budget for 2026\u201330 is now structured around four&nbsp;outcome&nbsp;focused&nbsp;areas rather than individual Research&nbsp;Councils:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Curiosity\u00a0driven research (investigator-led,\u00a0responsive\u00a0mode)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Strategic government and societal priorities (mission-led,\u00a0challenge-focused)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Supporting innovative companies (translation, scaleup, commercialisation)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enabling and strengthening UK R&amp;D (infrastructure, skills, institutes, platforms)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Across the four years, this includes:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00a314.5bn for\u00a0curiosity-driven\u00a0foundational\u00a0research\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00a38.3bn for targeted R&amp;D addressing government and societal priorities&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00a37.4bn to support innovative companies to start, scale and stay in the UK&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00a38.4bn for skills, talent,&nbsp;infrastructure&nbsp;and national facilities underpinning all three areas&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>What this means for UWE researchers:&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Expect more\u00a0cross-council,\u00a0outcome-driven\u00a0calls. When shaping projects, consider which \u2018bucket\u2019 your work sits in, and frame your plans in terms of the outcomes UKRI is now emphasising.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Growing emphasis on the Industrial Strategy and IS-8<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UKRI will increasingly align its programmes with the government\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/69256e16367485ea116a56de\/industrial_strategy_policy_paper.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Modern Industrial Strategy<\/a>, particularly its eight priority sectors (the&nbsp;<em>IS8<\/em>): Advanced Manufacturing; Clean Energy Industries; Creative Industries; Defence; Digital &amp; Technologies (including AI,&nbsp;Quantum&nbsp;and Engineering Biology); Life Sciences; Financial Services; and Professional &amp; Business Services.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More funding will flow through UKRI-managed, Industrial Strategy-aligned programmes rather than traditional\u00a0council-specific\u00a0routes. Exactly how this framing will shape calls, assessment processes or partnership expectations is still emerging\u00a0(see\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ersatzben.com\/p\/the-three-bucket-problem\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this Substack<\/a>\u00a0for a more detailed analysis of what problems this reorganisation may be trying to solve), with more detail expected in forthcoming Strategic Delivery Plans.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>What this means for UWE researchers:&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s&nbsp;useful to consider how your work can be articulated in relation to the IS8,&nbsp;directly or indirectly,&nbsp;alongside its disciplinary strengths and societal relevance.&nbsp;You might also reflect on how your research connects to UWE\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uwe.ac.uk\/rise\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">four RISE Beacons<\/a>&nbsp;and, through them, to IS8 sectors (e.g., how work under \u201cShaping integrated healthcare\u201d links to Life Sciences and NHS transformation).&nbsp;Additionally, consider alignment with major national agendas such as the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future\/fit-for-the-future-10-year-health-plan-for-england-executive-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NHS Long Term Plan<\/a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/ai-for-science-strategy\/ai-for-science-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI for Science Strategy<\/a>, and with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk\/about-us\/our-strategy\/west-of-england-growth-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">regional strengths and priorities in the West of England<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fundamental research&nbsp;and research not aligned to IS-8&nbsp;is still valued<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Curiosity-driven, fundamental research\u00a0remains\u00a0central to the system, reflected in its substantial share of total funding.\u00a0UKRI is also\u00a0retaining\u00a0a meaningful \u201cwider priorities\u201d category within its strategic and innovation portfolios, enabling investment in nationally\u00a0important areas\u00a0that do not fit neatly within the IS8,\u00a0such as climate adaptation;\u00a0environmental resilience;\u00a0space;\u00a0and food,\u00a0animal\u00a0and plant health.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>What this means for UWE researchers:&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you work in discovery-led\u00a0research:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>continue developing proposals&nbsp;and&nbsp;articulate&nbsp;the&nbsp;originality, long-term public&nbsp;value&nbsp;and intellectual ambition&nbsp;of your work&nbsp;clearly;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>look out for new\u00a0responsive-mode opportunities as headroom increases later this\u00a0year.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How the BID team can support you<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If&nbsp;you&#8217;d&nbsp;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&nbsp;UKRI priorities.&nbsp;You can find out who would be best to contact on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/uweacuk.sharepoint.com\/sites\/staff-intranet-ree-cross-cutting\/SitePages\/bidding-income-development-team.aspx?web=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BID team staff intranet page<\/a>. Meanwhile, if the growth in commercialisation funding has prompted thinking about how your&nbsp;ideas could lead to new products,&nbsp;services&nbsp;or tools, or&nbsp;spin-outs&nbsp;and social enterprises,&nbsp;or policy outputs,&nbsp;start a conversation early&nbsp;with the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/uweacuk.sharepoint.com\/sites\/staff-intranet-business-community\/SitePages\/Innovation-Impact-Team.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Impact and Commercialisation team<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Boudewijn&nbsp;Devanicus&nbsp;&nbsp; Just before Christmas, UK\u00a0Research\u00a0and Innovation (UKRI)\u00a0published its 2026\u201330 budget allocations, outlining significant changes\u00a0to how it plans,\u00a0manages\u00a0and deploys funding,\u00a0described by UKRI as the most substantial shift since its creation.\u00a0Last week\u2019s open letter\u00a0from UKRI Chief Executive Ian Chapman adds helpful clarity, particularly around\u00a0curiosity-driven\u00a0research and alignment with national priorities.\u00a0 For UWE Bristol researchers, these changes affect &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/whats-changing-at-ukri-and-what-it-means-for-uwe\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;What&#8217;s\u00a0changing at UKRI \u2013 and what it means for UWE Bristol&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":8199,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1531,1519,127,1489,1,4],"tags":[1383,62,323,74,75,226,76],"class_list":["post-8196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-policy","category-research-and-external-engagement","category-research-business-innovation","category-rise","category-uncategorised","category-uwe-bristol-research","tag-policy","tag-research","tag-ukri","tag-uwe","tag-uwe-bristol","tag-uwe-bristol-research","tag-uwe-research"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8196"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8223,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8196\/revisions\/8223"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}