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UKRI Pauses Multiple Research Grant Schemes Amid Funding Model Shift

lite News Desk 2 min read

At a glance

  • UKRI has paused several applicant-led grant schemes across key research councils
  • The funding pause is part of a move to a new investment model
  • UKRI’s annual funding is projected to reach nearly £10 billion by the end of the current review period

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has paused a range of grant schemes as it transitions to a new approach for allocating research funding across the United Kingdom.

The pause affects applicant-led grant programmes managed by the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC.

Within the MRC, the affected schemes include applicant-led research grants, new investigator research grants, partnership grants, experimental medicine stage one, invited stage two experimental medicine, developmental pathway funding scheme stage one, and the Gap Fund.

According to UKRI, the current changes are part of a broader shift to an investment model that organises funding into three main categories: curiosity-driven research, government and societal priorities, and support for innovative companies, all supported by infrastructure, facilities, and skills.

What the numbers show

  • UKRI’s funding is projected to reach almost £10 billion per year by the end of the current spending review period
  • The funding pause was announced in February 2026
  • Multiple research councils, including MRC, BBSRC, and EPSRC, are affected by the pause

UKRI Chief Executive Ian Chapman stated that the organisation has received government direction to “focus and do fewer things better” as it implements this new funding strategy.

The changes are intended to align research funding with the new structure, which aims to balance support for discovery science, targeted national priorities, and business innovation.

Chapman acknowledged that communication about the funding changes was not managed effectively, noting that information leaks and rushed announcements led to uncertainty among researchers.

UKRI has indicated that the new funding approach will be underpinned by continued investment in research infrastructure, facilities, and skills development.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.

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