UK Government will pay 80% of full economic cost of scientific research projects

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 10 Jan 2005 - 9:00 PDT


A new measure to ensure that scientific research is properly funded and the UK's research base is put on a secure and sustainable footing was announced today.

A new measure to ensure that scientific research is properly funded and the UK's research base is put on a secure and sustainable footing was announced today.

Science and Innovation Minister Lord Sainsbury revealed that the UK Research Councils will pay a higher proportion of the full economic costs (FEC) of university research grants applied for from September 2005. The Research Councils will pay 80% of the full economic cost of projects - more than the 60% to 70% previously estimated.

The Government's aim is that this will reach 100% by the start of the next decade, taking into account capital funding streams, as announced in the Science and Innovation Investment Framework: 2004-2014.

Lord Sainsbury also announced that Research Councils would pay 100% of the costs of any equipment over $94,300 (£50,000) per grant (with Higher Education Institutions contributing 20% of the costs of the first $94,300 (£50,000)).

An extra $226 million (£120 million) per year, to support the move towards FEC, will be distributed to the Research Councils from July 2005, rising to $377 million (£200 million) per year from 2007-08.

Lord Sainsbury said:

"The Government is committed to improving and maintaining research excellence in UK universities.

"The move towards Research Councils paying the full economic costs of projects is a huge step forward in the drive towards proper and sustained funding of the UK research base, and comes coupled with an increase in the block grant from Funding Councils.

"This represents a major boost for university research."

Kim Howells said:

"This increase in the level of contribution from the Research Councils is another major step to ensure that our universities have a secure base from which to plan and develop high quality research in a sustainable way. We remain fully committed to the Dual Support system. The movement towards Research Councils paying Full Economic Costs is an integral element of this, which will allow institutions greater flexibility in the use of their Quality Related funding to address the needs of their research strategies properly."

This is a Press Release by the (UK) Department of Trade and Industry
http://www.britainusa.com

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