Research Councils and other research funding

Funding through the Research Councils, forms part of the dual support system for research funding. Under these arrangements, we provide funding for institutions that supports ground-breaking research and the research infrastructure, whereas the Research Councils provide funds for specific research projects and programmes.

Working with the Research Councils

This means that to administer our funding for research effectively we also work collaboratively with the Research Councils. In particular we now administer funds that support the physical infrastructure of HE research projects on the Research Councils’ behalf.

The Research Councils currently commit to paying a fixed amount towards the full direct and indirect costs (or ‘full economic cost’) of the projects they fund. Since 2005, this has been 80 per cent.

The Government intends to raise this figure to 100 per cent over time, but has since provided a further 10 per cent through capital investment in research infrastructure. The Research Councils fund this extra ten per cent, and we distribute it as part of our capital funding allocations.

About the Research Councils

There are seven Research Councils, organised by discipline:

Research Councils UK is a strategic partnership set up to champion research supported by the eight UK Research Councils.

Research funding is also provided by a range of sponsors including charities, the NHS, industry and commerce and the European Union. The scale of this funding varies according to subject area. It is very significant in areas such as medical research.

Page last updated 10 November 2011