Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have considered any revised methods of allocation of the Charity Research Support Fund.

The Government recognises the Charity Research Support Fund as an important mechanism to help universities meet the indirect costs of charity-funded research. Its effectiveness is being assessed through Research England’s Strategic Institutional Research Funding (SIRF) review and the UKRI Transparency Programme. The review will explore the effectiveness, impact, allocation mechanisms and transparent uses of SIRF, and how it delivers on its aims and objectives. Findings from the SIRF review will be published alongside those from the Transparency Programme, with reporting expected soon after the end of academic year 2025-26. Any changes to the allocation methods will be considered following the publication of review findings.