UKRI board meetings: March, May and July 2026

Three new sets of UKRI board meeting minutes have been published. Here are some of the main takeaways:

18 March, Caxton House

Chief executive Ian Chapman’s update to the board reveals that the Local Innovation Partnership Fund (LIPF) process had been “significantly compressed in response to government requests.” UKRI is expected to submit its recommendations to ministers by 24 March.

CFO Juliette Meek’s update notes that UKRI has agreed policy principles with the Treasury around a direct and indirect cost model.

The UKRI growth committee has been thinking about how UKRI’s intellectual property portfolio is being tracked, including what mechanisms might be strengthened to “anchor UP within the UK.”

We learn that two audits have been conducted by the Government Internal Audit Agency, one of Research England and the other other UKRI’s risk and assurance framework. A limited assurance rating is said to have been given to estate management.

“Early work” is underway to develop a framework for assessing the value for money of future potential association to Horizon Europe, to allow for evidence-based advice to be given to the government, who will make the ultimate decision. Separately, there is ongoing work to develop an international prioritisation framework for UKRI.

The board was presented with deep-dives into the IS8 Programmes (elsewhere known as priority programmes, representing much of “bucket two”) on artificial intelligence and the creative industries.

13 May, University of Sunderland

The board were given an overview of the UKRI strategy for 2026–31 and the accompanying 2026–27 delivery plan from Chief of Investment Planning and Strategy Hugh Harris. The board noted a “gap between high-level ambition and measurable delivery” and requested further work on the link between the two documents.

An update on the UKRI people strategy included reference to a proposed unified HR function across the organisation. The board discussed trade union engagement, plans for more regular staff surveys, and the use of inclusive language.

There were further deep dives into the planned “priority programmes” – this time in the areas of advanced connectivity technologies, semiconductors, cyber, and national security and defence – which are due to launch later this year.

A further update on LIPF heard that its delivery had been “more resource-intensive than initially anticipated,” requiring “significant on-the-ground engagement to build capability, governance structures and partnerships” (on 1 June, then science secretary Liz Kendall announced that LIPF would be devolved to mayoral authorities in the next spending review period).

Finally, we hear that the Secretary of State (Peter Kyle) has requested an overview of UKRI’s investments in artificial intelligence, including a summary of current activity. The March board meeting had heard that there is “currently no complete view of UKRI’s total investment in AI.”

1 July, extraordinary meeting, online

The meeting was held to approve proposed allocations at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) following its budget pressures. The decisions, which are not spelled out in the board minutes but which were announced later that month, are described as having been “tested rigorously with advisory groups and external partners” with “broad agreement that they are sensible.” The board expressed its support for executive chair Michele Dougherty’s leadership of STFC.