Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps to (a) expand the Government's support for the Horizon Europe pump priming collaboration and (b) end the rule that research applications to Horizon Europe must identify a call and topic in Pillar 2.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The British Academy has received considerable interest in the Pump Priming grants scheme, and the Government is pleased with the level of engagement, including from those new to the programme. There are no plans to expand the recently launched pump priming grants.
Applications for Horizon Europe grants are made directly to the European Commission. All calls within Horizon Europe work programme 2024 and beyond are funded by the UK’s association to Horizon Europe.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to encourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds to complete postgraduate research.
Answered by George Freeman
The Government continues to provide targeted funding to increase the accessibility of postgraduate research (PGR) to students from disadvantaged backgrounds and is committed to creating a New Deal of support for PGR students.
In 2022, the Office for Students and Research England announced funding for 13 projects to tackle persistent inequalities and barriers for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students to access PGR. In 2023, UKRI published results of a Call for Input on a PGR New Deal and will respond later this year.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology continues to work with UKRI and the Department for Education to consider further steps to support access to and widen participation in PGR.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support postgraduate researchers with increases in the cost of living.
Answered by George Freeman
The Government recognises that postgraduate researchers (PGRs) are vital to the UK’s science and technology superpower ambitions.
The Government has funded UKRI to significantly increase the minimum stipend level for PGRs by nearly 20% in cash terms over two years (rising to £18,622 pa for the 2023/24 academic year), to help them with the current cost-of living. Around 20% of PGRs receive UKRI stipends, which are generally tax-free.
This financial support is part of the Government’s long-term work on reaching a New Deal for PGRs, to make the UK the best place for PGRs.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Office for National Statistics includes Higher Education Innovation Funding in its estimate of total UK Research and Development spending.
Answered by George Freeman
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is an independent producer of official statistics.
Its annual publication “Research and development expenditure by the UK government” has figures for UK Government net expenditure on research and development (R&D) by department and for UK Government net expenditure on knowledge transfer by department, both separately and combined; it has also published experimental statistics on “UK public-funded gross regional capital and non-capital expenditure on research and development”.
I understand that UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) provides ONS with expenditure data on Higher Education Innovation Funding to be included in these statistics.