Budget 2015 - what it means for science

In this year’s budget, Chancellor George Osborne pledged over £240 million of extra money for science and innovation and detailed how previously announced – unallocated – funds will be spent.

The science budget is set to increase to almost £3.2 billion by 2020 if the policy is continued by the next government.

Naomi Weir, Acting Director of CaSE – a UK-based organisation advocating funding improvement for science and engineering – said: “Major investment in scientific infrastructure is very welcome and necessary, but to be most effective it must go hand-in-hand with funding for the scientists conducting the research and their project costs. It may not make for great headlines in the short-term, but ensuring that there is sufficient funding for the ideas and people that make British science great will be essential for our future scientific, economic, and national success”.

New money

- £40 million for demonstrator programmes, business incubator space and a research centre aiming to develop applications for Internet of Things technologies in health and social care, and Smart Cities (Innovate UK)

- £100 million for Research and Development into Intelligent Mobility focused on driverless car technology (Innovate UK)

- £11 million for tech incubators in Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield aiming to create thriving local ecosystems (Innovate UK)

- £11.8 million in creating a new Centre for Agricultural Informatics and Sustainability Metrics in Harpenden, Hertfordshire (Industrial Strategy spend)

- £20 million to Health North to promote innovation through analysis of data (Department of Health)

- £60 million for a new Energy Research Accelerator aiming to develop the energy technologies of the future (part Innovate UK, part Research Councils spend – details tbc)

New details on previously announced funding

- Up to £30 million from the sale of Medical Research Council assets for research support at the Francis Crick Institute (depending on the sale value)

- £10 million for digital currency technology research opportunities (from existing EPSRC budget)

- £138 million for UK Collaboratorium for Research in Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC), subject to a satisfactory business case and the provision of substantial co-funding. It will have hubs in London, and further centres initially in Birmingham, Newcastle, Sheffield and Southampton

- £400 million will be launched for the next round of competition-based scientific infrastructure funding (the next round of RPIF)

Over the course of this Parliament, analysis by CaSE has shown a £1billion shortfall in UK research base funding. This is thought to result from a ring-fenced flat-cash settlement in 2010. When CaSE compare this settlement to what would have been spent if the 2010 budget for science spending had tracked inflation they find a £1 billion deficit. The annual shortfall is expected to be over £2.3 billion by 2020 if current government spending policy continues. An above-inflation increase in investment in the next Parliament will be necessary to make up for money lost to the research base.

“For future economic success we can’t continue to rely on the UK’s historic scientific success, great though it may be. If the government wants sustainable growth it must reverse the squeeze on British science and engineering and instead increase investment in the UK research base,” said Naomi Weir, CaSE Acting Director.

The Chancellor also announced the government’s intentions to widen and strengthen the support for postgraduate researchers. This will include a review of how to strengthen postgraduate funding and options for increased co-funded research support. The government is also intending in introducing income-contingent loans.

This story is complied with figures by CaSE.