Universities Wales: the priority given to R&I in Wales is “especially low”

Welsh university representative body Universities Wales has called on the Welsh government to address the “longstanding underinvestment” in both teaching and research in its upcoming 2027–28 budget, which will be published in draft form on 17 November.

The priority given to research and innovation in Wales is “especially low”, its submission argues:

“For 2026/27, Medr allocated around £100m for research and innovation, including core and targeted allocations, of which £77m was for core research. By comparison, Research England allocated the equivalent of £136m, and Scotland the equivalent of £204m relative to population size – i.e. almost three times as much.”

The representative body cites the 2018 Reid Review’s conclusion that Wales’ universities needed significant additional investment in research capacity, including in the form of quality-related research (QR) and innovation funding.

Universities Wales’ immediate budget ask is for action to safeguard financial sustainability – including inflationary uplifts to teaching and research core allocations – in advance of longer-term policy change arising from the Prendergast review of higher education.

Plaid Cymru’s election manifesto promised to “continue to call for Wales’s share of UK research funding to be devolved.” However, at the party’s annual conference last weekend First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth only referenced his desire to the Welsh government handed further powers over policing and justice, rail infrastructure, the Crown Estate, tax bands, and welfare, with the devolution of research not getting a mention.