Research Agenda.
The essays
Long reads on the ideas behind UK research policy, signed by their authors. Newest first.
The moon and the ghetto, revisitedSocietal missions aren’t weaker versions of technology missions – they are a different kind of undertaking, with their own logicSolveig Korum, Anne-Marie Canning and Christian Bason · 20 Oct 2026
Applied research towards social goals: the missions accelerator programmeUKRI is investing £500m in a fund aligned to national priorities – here’s how that works in practiceStian Westlake · 19 Oct 2026
Two tests for devolving innovationThe government’s upcoming moves on devolution must align with innovation ecosystems, not create new boundariesDan Parsons and Helen Turner · 13 Oct 2026
Money alone won’t fix the UK’s innovation problemsAdvance market commitments are a way for the government to give innovators confidence in future demandGeraint Rees and James Coe · 6 Oct 2026
One year of leading UKRIChief executive Ian Chapman reflects on his first year at the wheel – and what comes nextIan Chapman · 29 Sep 2026
Research security, science diplomacy, and geopolitical fractureOnce on a converging path, research systems around the world are now facing growing restriction and government interventionSapna Marwaha · 22 Sep 2026
Innovation policy needs imagination – not constant repackaging of the enterprise zone dreamOne government after another has stuck with this economic orthodoxy, even as the labels change. It’s time for a new approachJames Coe · 15 Sep 2026
The Waymo effect: how AI is quietly making research less collaborative How frictionless technologies teach us to prefer our own company – and why research leaders should worry.Daniel Hook · 7 Sep 2026
Research is a promiseThe UK has a record research settlement, a system under real strain, and – from today – a newsroom watching both. Mark Leach introduces Research Agenda.Mark Leach · 24 Aug 2026