In response to recent funding changes announced by UKRI, the Biochemical Society has collaborated with partners across the sector to express concern about the impact of these changes on the biosciences.

UKRI recently published its budget allocations for the financial years 2026-27 to 2029-30, with details on its plans to fund three key areas in an updated allocation model: curiosity-driven research, strategic government and societal priorities, and supporting innovative company growth. Since, unexpected funding cuts and grant funding pauses have been announced across several UKRI councils, with biosciences being affected by a pause in funding of curiosity-driven research through MRC and BBSRC (and possibly NERC). This apparent contradiction in prioritisation of curiosity-driven research and lack of transparency in decision-making have raised concerns amongst the research community.

Spearheaded by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB), a joint letter co-signed by the Society and other Strategic Partners has been sent to Ian Chapman, UKRI’s CEO. The letter calls for greater transparency around these funding decisions, to provide the community with certainty, and for ongoing evaluation of UKRI’s revised funding model and further community engagement so as to ensure it can deliver long-term sustainability and societal benefits from research.

You can read the letter in full here. The Society will continue to work with RSB to represent our community and ensure their concerns are heard.