UKRI welcomes independent review report

Businessman reading reading a report

The final report of an Independent Review of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has been published today.

Commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the review, considered the development of UKRI since its inception in 2018.

A full list of the review’s recommendations can be found at Annex B in the report.

The work was led by Sir David Grant, a former Chair of the National Physical Laboratory and former Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University.

Welcoming the report

UKRI Chief Executive Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser said:

UKRI’s five-year strategy sets out our clear ambition to be more effective, more efficient and to work in new and different ways to realise our full potential.

I warmly welcome the momentum that Sir David’s timely review adds to these efforts. His expert advice and careful recommendations will help us continue to strengthen UKRI in our work to fuel the UK’s outstanding research and innovation system.

I would like to thank Sir David and the review team that supported him for their tireless efforts and collaborative approach.

Public Bodies Review Programme

The review forms part of the government’s Public Bodies Review Programme and has made recommendations on effectiveness, efficiency, accountability, and governance.

These reviews are intended to ensure that arms-length bodies are contributing effectively to government objectives and operating in an efficient manner.

It follows the publication of UKRI’s five-year strategy in March that sets out our high-level priorities for how we will deliver an outstanding research and innovation system in the UK.

It also follows UKRI’s £25 billion, three-year budget settlement, providing security and stability to deliver our mission.

Highlighting opportunities

UKRI Chair Sir Andrew Mackenzie said:

David Grant’s review has offered valuable and timely support and challenge to the UKRI highlighting opportunities for us to better steer UKRI to capitalise on the extraordinary research and innovation talent and creativity that will put the UK at the forefront of solutions to national and global challenges.

As part of its work the review team met with both UKRI staff and people across the research and innovation sector to discuss how the organisation operates and how it is performing against its objectives.

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