The Research and Development Missions Accelerator Programme (R&D MAP) supports research and innovation that aligns with the UK government’s five national missions. It focuses on new ideas that can improve lives, strengthen public services and support the economy.
Scope
The programme addresses research and innovation challenges across the five national priority mission areas:
- Safer streets mission
- Breaking down barriers to opportunity mission
- Clean energy superpower mission
- NHS fit for the future health mission
- Kickstart economic growth mission
What we’re doing
The programme is delivered by UKRI in partnership with relevant government departments.
Each research and innovation challenge sets clear and measurable targets with specific deadlines for real-world impact. This helps to ensure research and innovation deliver tangible results that benefit people across the UK.
Research and innovation challenges
The programme runs time-bound targeted challenges that bring together researchers, businesses, and public services to develop and test solutions across the five mission areas.
Further information can be found by visiting Research and Development Missions Accelerator Programme.
Built-in routes to adoption
Unlike traditional research funding, the programme builds adoption into every challenge from the start.
Each challenge has a plan setting out:
- how successful solutions will be procured or commissioned
- what policy or regulatory changes may be needed
- which organisations will implement the innovations
These plans evolve as challenges progress and new solutions emerge. This ensures that when research proves effective, there’s already a clear pathway for it to be used across public services, rather than waiting years for findings to be picked up.