Status of UK science budget becomes clearer

Abstract

British prime minister Boris Johnson has often promised to make the UK into a science superpower as part of his vision for the nation after its departure from the European Union in 2020. In keeping with that pledge, the UK government last year announced plans to boost its science spending by 80% in the coming years. But it became clear in March that cuts to UK foreign aid spending due to Brexit will leave UK Research and Innovation with a £120 million ($165 million) hole in its budget. An agreement was also struck to allow the UK to remain in the EU’s flagship research program, Horizon Europe. While scientists and researchers welcomed that deal, it comes with an estimated cost to the UK of £1 billion ($1.38 billion) in the first year alone. Previously, the Treasury’s contributions to the EU paid the UK’s membership in Horizon. Analysts expected that the