UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) hosted a virtual town hall on 24 March 2026.
UKRI CEO Professor Sir Ian Chapman outlined our upcoming five-year strategy and new mission: to advance knowledge, improve lives and drive growth.
Ian was joined for a question and answer session by:
- Professor Dame Jessica Corner (Executive Chair of Research England)
- Stian Westlake (Executive Chair of the Economic and Social Research Council)
The discussions explored UKRI’s strategic direction, covering topics ranging from the balance between curiosity driven research and government priorities, to practical questions on processes and grant timelines.
Panellists highlighted both strengths and areas for improvement across the research and innovation system.
They encouraged the community to continue offering constructive ideas to help shape future developments.
Thank you to all those across the research and innovation community who joined us and asked insightful questions.
This townhall forms part of a wider series of engagement UKRI is delivering on the upcoming strategy, to seek views from across the community.
Watch the townhall recording:
Video credit: UKRI
Video transcript and on-screen captions are available by watching on YouTube.
Ask a question
If you have any questions, email: externalaffairs@ukri.org
Last updated: 30 March 2026