Cambridge academics are among more than 1000 signatories of an open letter warning of the impact of changes to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s investment model on early-career scientists.

UKRI is a public body that invests in research projects in the UK – it is government-funded, and spends around £8 billion a year on various research grants.

Earlier this month, UKRI CEO Professor Sir Chapman warned that the organisation faces “hard decisions” on the funding of future research. He announced that going forward, there would be a greater “emphasis on commercialisation” in deciding which projects to fund. Alongside this, funding for “curiosity driven” research will remain static, meaning that it will decrease in real terms over time.

The UKRI is composed of eight research councils, including the Science and Technologies Facilities Council, which oversees research into areas such as astronomy and nuclear physics. The government has instructed the various councils to find savings, leading to a restructuring of the overall research funding model. Chapman said that he expects the funding changes to be implemented fully by April 2027.

Professor Oleg Brandt of the Department of Physics, told Varsity of the changes: “These UKRI measures could result in a cut of ~30% (on top of another 25% over the last decade, so ~50% combined), this essentially translates into killing the Hawking and Higgs legacy.”

The open letter is addressed to Chapman, as well as Liz Kendall, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology. It is signed primarily by early-career researchers who describe themselves as part of the particle physics, astronomy, and nuclear physics community.

The letter states: “We are concerned that aspects of the new funding framework, as currently implemented, risk eroding the UK’s foundational capability in fundamental science through mechanisms that disproportionately affect early-career researchers.

“Many of the technologies that now underpin the UK economy — spanning computing, communications, medical imaging, advanced materials, artificial intelligence (AI), and emerging quantum technologies — originated in fundamental research that required and created entirely new technological trajectories before their commercial relevance was recognised.

“While the full impact of these losses may take several years to materialise, by the time they are visible they are no longer reversible. For this reason, early-career outcomes should be treated as a leading indicator of system health under the new funding model.”

Dr Anke Andersen-Arentsen, a research associate at the Institute of Astronomy, told Varsity why she signed the letter: “While the full details and impact of the new framework are not yet clear, it is already reducing job opportunities and is likely to do so even more in the future, driving talented researchers out of the field […] The team is already working at full capacity, and potential reductions in funding would add further pressure.”

The letter urges UKRI to assess the viability of curiosity-driven research according to “their contribution to skills formation,” rather than merely its apparent commercial value. It also demands greater representation of early-career researchers at the decision-making level, “reflecting the fact that early-career outcomes are the earliest and most sensitive indicator of system health”.

Eleftheria Malawi, a postdoctoral research assistant in the Faculty of Mathematics, said: “The proposed funding changes risk serious damage to the careers of young researchers facing job insecurity and unemployment at a critical stage, and to Cambridge’s wider research culture […] This will have a huge impact on the university, making it harder to attract skilled researchers who are essential for the knowledge and innovation that drive progress at every level.”

Dr Lisa Kelsey, an early-career fellow at the Kavli Institute for Cosmology, said: “We are at risk of losing a generation of scientific talent, with many early career researchers already considering moves abroad or leaving academia entirely because of the uncertainty under the new UKRI funding framework.

“Cambridge attracts outstanding researchers from around the world, but this uncertainty makes it harder for people at my stage to see how they can build a future in the UK, take on and properly support PhD students, and plan ambitious long-term projects.”

Dr Jack Gargan, a postdoctoral research associate in high energy physics, said: “It is almost inevitable that the contracts of early career researchers will serve as the shock-absorber in the face of such cuts, representing a terminal blow to the ambitions of many young researchers to pursue a career in fundamental research […] Curiosity-driven research is not a “nice-to-have”; it is the primary engine of scientific and technological progress.”