UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the national funding agency that invests in science and research in the United Kingdom. It operates as a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. UKRI brings together seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, into a single organisation. Its primary function is to distribute public money from the UK government to support research, innovation, and knowledge exchange across all fields—from medical sciences, engineering, and physical sciences to arts, humanities, and social sciences. UKRI manages an annual budget of over £8 billion, allocating funds through competitive grant schemes, fellowships, and infrastructure investments. It supports individual researchers, university departments, research institutes, and businesses of all sizes. For instance, the research councils fund specific disciplines: the Medical Research Council (MRC) funds health research; the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funds technology and engineering; the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) supports life sciences; the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funds environmental science; the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) funds particle physics, astronomy, and large-scale facilities; the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) supports cultural and historical studies; and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funds social science. Each council runs strategic programmes, project grants, and doctoral training partnerships. Innovate UK, a part of UKRI, focuses on business-led innovation. It provides grants, competitions, and collaborative R&D support to help UK companie