Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to page six of her Department's policy paper entitled Research and development (R&D) people and culture strategy, published on 22 July 2021, what steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) leadership and (b) management skills are actively developed and supported in (i) talent programmes and (ii) grant holders’ terms and conditions.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has recently reviewed grant terms and conditions to be explicit that leadership and management skills development costs can be claimed in applications for its talent programmes and in grant holders’ terms. UKRI’s existing Future Leaders Fellows Development Network has been expanded to include holders of other UKRI fellowships and research leaders in UKRI’s Centres Institutes and Units. The four UK National Academies’ talent programmes support leadership and management skills to help researchers lead their teams and commercialise their ideas.