U.K. Science Funding to Stay Flat Over Next Four Years, Despite New Investments in AI and Nuclear Energy

Science funding in the United Kingdom will remain largely unchanged over the next four years, according to a governmental spending review released today. The review outlines how financial resources will be distributed across various departments until 2029. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has pledged £86 billion for research and development (R&D) over the next four years. Of this, £72 billion will be allocated to the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, with the remaining funds directed towards research-related activities in other government departments. The annual budget for R&D will rise from £20.4 billion in the current year to £22.6 billion by 2029-30. The government describes this as an “above-inflation increase.” However, when accounting for inflation forecasts, the funding will likely be “broadly flat” in real terms, according to Alicia Greated, executive director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering. Greated, though, acknowledged the positive aspect of protecting the R&D budget in a challenging fiscal environment. "In these difficult fiscal circumstances, it is positive that the R&D budget has been maintained," she stated. Not everyone shares Greated's optimism. John-Arne Røttingen, CEO of the nonprofit Wellcome Trust, criticized the delayed timeline for meeting R&D funding goals. The previous government had promised to reach £22 billion in annual R&D spending by 2024, a target now postponed to 2030. "This is a reduction in ambition at a time when the U.K. desperately needs the economic growth that investing in science can bring," Røttingen remarked in a statement today. The review also includes funding for several specific initiatives. At least £1 billion will be directed to the Advanced Research and Innovation Agency (ARIA), the U.K.'s equivalent to the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency, which supports high-risk, high-reward research projects. This amount builds upon the initial £800 million allocated to ARIA. Additionally, the government will invest £2 billion in artificial intelligence (AI) to bolster infrastructure, fellowships, and collaborations between AI companies and universities. A new supercomputer at the University of Edinburgh, which had been canceled soon after the current administration took office, will receive £750 million. The review signals a significant push towards nuclear energy. The government is committing £2.5 billion to the development of small modular reactors, compact plants designed for deployment in settings like factories and capable of being combined to meet energy demands. Another £14.2 billion will fund the construction of Sizewell C, Britain's first new nuclear plant in decades. Furthermore, £2.5 billion will support nuclear fusion research, and £9.4 billion will be allocated to carbon capture and storage projects to reduce emissions from industrial processes like cement production. Despite these investments, concerns persist about the U.K.'s competitive position. Adrian Smith, president of the Royal Society, noted that the country still falls behind its G7 peers in terms of research and innovation investment. Smith also highlighted the issue of high visa costs, which hinder the recruitment of international talent to U.K. institutions. There is, however, a nod to addressing these challenges. The budget announcement includes “new opportunities for top talent,” such as fellowship schemes designed to attract leading scientists to the U.K. In May, Science Minister Patrick Vallance stated in Parliament that the government was developing a program to lure researchers, including those from the U.S. who face funding cuts. Vallance assured that announcements regarding these initiatives would follow “very shortly.” Overall, while the science and technology sector welcomes the government's commitment to maintaining current funding levels and investing in strategic areas, there remains a desire for more ambitious and immediate action to stay competitive globally.