Who Research England is

We are responsible for funding, engaging with and understanding English higher education providers (HEPs).

Our work creates and sustains the conditions for a healthy and dynamic research and knowledge exchange system in the higher education sector.

Our vision

Our vision is for English HEPs to play a central role in the economy and society delivering world-class research with transformational real-world application, developing the skilled and talented workforce that modern research and development (R&D) intensive economy needs, and operating as major international players to enhance the UK’s global reach and influence.

Our mission

Our mission is to create and sustain the conditions for a healthy and dynamic research and knowledge exchange system in English HEPs.

We fund HEPs to deliver excellent research and high-performance knowledge exchange, unlocking potential, generating impact, and meeting national priorities and global challenges.

This includes a strong focus on support for innovative industrial developments and high value, strategic and agile formula funding streams such as:

We want to make the best use of taxpayers’ money by prioritising funding where we can get the best value and ensuring we deliver the government’s policy aims. We also make sure that HEPs are accountable for the money they get, but without creating an excessive burden on them.

Our stakeholders

We work with the higher education sector to understand its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges. We provide the core funding that unlocks the sector’s potential and creates impact and value from public investment in the research and innovation system.

We help universities to take the long term view of their priorities that is essential to strengthening our national research endeavour and enhance its significant contribution to the wider economy and society.

Our people

Senior leadership team declaration of interests

See our Council members.

Last updated: 6 September 2023

This is the website for UKRI: our seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Let us know if you have feedback or would like to help improve our online products and services.