Research at risk: impacts of financial constraints on UK universities

Ahead of the upcoming DSIT allocations, CaSE, Universities UK (UUK), and the Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA) have joined forces to examine the real impact that financial constraints are having on UK universities and the need to put it on a sustainable footing.

In the briefing you can find out more about the difficult choices institutions are making on R&D activity and the impact this has, as well as recent member survey data from UUK and ARMA which shows that R&D activity in UK universities is already being eroded due to sustained financial pressures.

While the UUK and ARMA results have mainly been gathered from universities, they will mostly likely apply to all kinds of research organisations. University-affiliated and independent R&D institutions can be particularly vulnerable to the shortfalls in the UK’s current research funding model, owing to limited opportunities to cross-subsidise their research through other activities.

It is also important to note that issues impacting universities do not exist in isolation, and have consequences for the wider R&D sector. Universities often act as a focal point and anchor for regional research institutions and clustering of expertise. In establishing a network of research organisations, universities help bring in funding to collaborative research that individual businesses or R&D delivery partners, such as NHS Trusts, would otherwise be unable to access. Universities also have a vital role as a neutral arbitrator in supporting local businesses to collaborate rather than compete. If the retrenchment of university R&D is uneven across the regions of the UK, this could leave some regions without this important focal point for economic activity.