Inquiry · Opened 20 March 2026

Investment in research infrastructure

Open4 documents1 evidence session

What this inquiry is asking

This inquiry is investigating how the UK government allocates and manages investment in research infrastructure — the labs, facilities, and equipment that underpin scientific research. The committee is examining whether funding decisions deliver value for money, whether infrastructure is distributed fairly across regions and institutions, and whether the system is positioned to support the UK's research competitiveness.

Status / emerging findings

Inquiry opened 20 March 2026; no evidence sessions or publications yet
No witnesses called or testimony received to date
Scope and formal lines of inquiry not yet publicly detailed

Why it matters

How government invests in research infrastructure directly shapes whether UK universities and labs can compete globally and attract talent — affecting everything from cancer research to semiconductors.

Themes

research-fundinginfrastructure-investmentregional-distributionvalue-for-money

Witness sessions

Oral evidence · 11 June 2026
Session 1 of 1
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; Sir Ian Chapman; +3 more

Written evidence & correspondence

Themes & actors

Topics across publication summaries

public-finance ·4 research-infrastructure ·2 higher-education ·2 research-funding ·2 regional-investment ·1 research-workforce ·1 stem-skills-workforce ·1 international-partnerships ·1 science-funding ·1 international-collaboration ·1

Top organisations & named entities

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown·4 references
Public Accounts Committee·3 references
Professor Michele Dougherty·2 references
Dr Sarah Williams·2 references
Dr Simon Williams·2 references
Sir Ian Chapman·2 references
STFC·2 references
UKRI·2 references
Institute of Physics·2 references
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)·1 reference