We asked experts on whether they think university research is well funded and how universities can continue to produce high-quality research.
Three issues to highlight with the current system are in the lack of longer-term approach to research funding, the need to support higher-cost STEM subjects, and a need for diversity in people and research.
Instability, uncertainty, and lack of a longer-term approach to research funding all contribute to reduced confidence in Government investment in research and development. Chemistry in the UK benefits significantly from the funding and the collaborative networks offered by the EU Research and Development programmes, particularly the Horizon programmes, which many across the sector hope for a speedy UK association to.
Funding systems must continue to enable study of higher-cost STEM and medical subjects, so that students can study these beneficial subjects, including chemistry, for the same fees as other, lower cost courses. Chemistry, like other STEM subjects, has necessarily high running costs (for practical teaching, infrastructure, maintenance, energy etc) and is hard-hit by inflation. Universities also rely heavily on domestic and overseas student fee income to subsidise research.
