Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the announcement entitled, Government to protect UK research jobs with major support package, how many applications have been made for funding; and what proportion of the £200 million has been allocated.

On 27 June, the Government announced two new support packages to protect research jobs and ground-breaking research projects impacted by coronavirus:

• from this autumn, UK universities will be able to access a series of government grants and long-term, low interest loans covering up to 80% of their income losses caused by an expected decline in international students, ensuring that their crucial research can continue.
• around £280 million government funding will be made available to universities impacted by coronavirus, allowing them to continue developing ambitious and innovative research projects.

The package includes funding for costed grant extensions for the outstanding researchers funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Academies, whose projects have been seriously impacted by COVID-19.

It includes £180 million for UKRI, which will be awarded as a block grant allocation to 157 institutions. The allocation will be calculated pro rata to the total value of payments that organisations are profiled to receive between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021, for competitively awarded grants with a planned end date during the same time period.

Demand is expected to be high for the funding allocated by the National Academies, and we are working with the Academies to develop delivery mechanisms.

The wider package of announcements will be available in the Autumn.