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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require UK Research and Innovation to extend the term of grants for those projects which have been interrupted or delayed by the impact of coronavirus.

The Government is aware of the consequent pressures of the coronavirus on businesses, universities, and research institutions.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is already offering no-cost extensions to all grants.

UKRI has also confirmed it?will?offer a costed extension of up to six months for those?UKRI funded PhD students?due to complete by 31 March 2021 and whose study has been impacted by the pandemic. Where a student’s doctoral research project has been repurposed towards COVID-19 related research, a costed extension to cover the time needed to adapt the research could be considered and covered in the same way as other case-by-case extensions. More information is available on the UKRI website.

We are in discussion with UKRI and wider stakeholders about what else may be required to best support the research and innovation system.