Professor Steve Hill, President of the British Pharmacological Society, has welcomed today’s announcement by the UK government of £1.3 billion worth of funding to attract the best researchers from around the world to study and work in the UK.
Professor Hill said:
This new funding is exactly what UK biomedical science and health research needs. Medical breakthroughs and innovations happen when highly skilled people are able to work together and are well supported by their institution, their company – and by funders, including government.
The fellowships and grants announced today will go a long way towards boosting the skills pipeline which is so vital to the future health and wellbeing of the country.
Furthermore, this announcement is a welcome signal to young researchers around the world that the United Kingdom remains an open and attractive destination for top talent.
International collaborations produce the best research, so any initiative that expands such opportunities is to be embraced.”
Part of the government’s Industrial Strategy, the inaugural UK Research & Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship Scheme will receive £900 million over the next 11 years, with six funding competitions and at least 550 fellows awarded over the next three years. The investment will provide up to seven years of funding for early-career researchers and innovators.
The scheme will be complemented by a further £350 million shared between leading national academies, including the Academy of Medical Sciences, and £50 million to fund additional PhDs.