UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) enables a diverse range of international partnerships, from collaborations between individual researchers and businesses up to major global infrastructure programmes.
Our international strategic framework sets out how UKRI delivers international activity and our ambitions for delivering an outstanding research and innovation system that enriches lives at a local, national and global scale.
Researchers and businesses can access funding for global collaborations through UKRI and its partners worldwide. We also work with partner countries to support research and innovation collaborations around the world.
One of the ways in which UKRI supports international collaboration is through research and innovation funds that enable researchers and businesses to build partnerships and find opportunities. These include:
Building international partnerships
Collaborations through UKRI offices and facilities
Through our offices in China, India and North America, UKRI has deepened partnerships and facilitated innovation and research collaborations. In Brussels, our UK Research Office (UKRO) provides subscribing UK research organisations with news, insight and advice to help them engage with EU-funded research.
In addition, we have renowned research facilities in the Gambia, Uganda, Antarctica and Svalbard in the Artic Circle that attract collaborators worldwide.
Working with global funders and networks
UKRI is an active member of organisations that bring together the world’s major research funders, including:
- the Global Research Council
- Science Europe
- the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Global Science Forum
We also work closely with the UK Science and Innovation Network, which builds partnerships and collaborations in science and innovation through its 100 officers in 40 countries, and with:
- the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
- the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
- the Department for Business and Trade
- the British Council
Supporting participation in Horizon Europe
UKRI supports researchers and innovators to participate in Horizon Europe, the EU research and innovation framework programme, providing advice and guidance to help them meet partners, form consortia and navigate the application process.
The EU is still in the process of formalising the UK’s association to the Horizon Europe funding programme. We are playing a key role in tackling the impacts of this delay with a range of support for our communities.
Contributing to international development
UKR is a major and long-standing funder of research and innovation for development. We are committed to the principle that research and innovation conducted through equitable partnerships has an essential role in tackling global challenges and improving the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable.
Through the Newton Fund and Global Challenges Research Fund, UKRI administers a portion of the UK’s official development assistance (ODA). This enables researchers and innovators to apply their work to some of the world’s most urgent development challenges.
We report ODA spending through the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) registry.
Removing barriers to collaboration
UKRI makes it simpler for UK and international researchers and businesses to work together on research and innovation. We remove barriers, such as the risk that a joint project will be approved in one country but not another, by partnering with major research organisations and networks worldwide.
Our agreements with research funders in countries such as the US, Norway and Brazil make it possible for researchers to submit joint funding proposals.
We want to build durable collaborations and partner responsibly to safeguard our researchers and innovators. We promote awareness of the principles of trusted research and innovation to achieve this and to protect UK and partner interests.
Last updated: 15 February 2023