RSB responds to emerging UKRI funding changes

The Royal Society of Biology (RSB) recognises that UK Research and Innovation's (UKRI) funding changes are being brought in with a desire for focused productivity, but calls for greater transparency and further community engagement to deliver long-term sustainability and societal benefits.

January 2026 has been marked by unexpected funding cuts and grant funding pause announcements across a few UKRI councils, leaving the research community looking for answers. Prior to these announcements, UKRI had published its budget allocations for the financial years 2026-27 to 2029-30, unveiling plans to restructure science funding by establishing three 'buckets': curiosity-driven research, strategic government and societal priorities, and supporting innovative company growth.

While the RSB welcomes the specific focus on curiosity-driven (sometimes known as foundational, discovery, or blue-skies) research as a priority area under UKRI's updated allocation model, we are registering particular concerns from our community over what appear to be (with no clear quantitative evidence to the contrary) possible real-term cuts to funding for this type of research. These come at a time when Government is looking to the research ecosystem — including universities, which are under financial pressures — to build a resilient system fit for the future. The community's concerns are further amplified by the current inability to make direct and detailed comparisons to previous allocations.

To address these concerns, the RSB is calling on UKRI to provide further transparency on the implementation and impact of these funding decisions, and on the data behind them. The community needs to have certainty as soon as possible, to provide the stability needed to continue the UK's world-class research. We are also calling for ongoing evaluation of the revised funding model, including engagement with the research and innovation community, so that risks to future discoveries are mitigated rapidly. There must be contingency measures in place to ensure continuity and limit long-term damage to the UK's research, development, and innovation system, and the benefits it brings to the public. The RSB stands ready to assist with community engagement on this front.

The RSB is carefully monitoring the situation and is working with its Strategic Partners and sister societies to bring concerns and recommendations of the RSB community to policy makers and advisors at the highest levels of Government and UKRI.