Tag: UKRI

Ancient wheat collections might hold the secret to tackling a new pathogen strain that could devastate UK wheat crops. A fungus known as yellow rust can destroy wheat, reducing harvests and driving up prices, which in turn can affect the price of staple foods like bread and pasta. One mechanism keeping it under control is to use wheat varieties with natural genetic resistance to the pathogen. New strains of yellow rust in the UK But last year, new strains of yellow rust appeared in UK wheat fields that have overcome this critical genetic defence and are posing a threat to wheat crops.…

Read More

UKRI’s high-level R&D strategy for the creative and cultural economy will ensure research and innovation drives and sustains growth in the creative industries. Today, at the MusicFutures Creative Industries Cluster in Liverpool, Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray announced, the strategy for the creative and cultural economy. The strategy will help UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) ensure its investments in the creative industries drive economic growth across the UK. Minister Murray also referenced £500 million of funding for the creative industries, including: £369 million allocated to the creative industries by UKRI, of which £100 million is specifically allocated to supporting innovative…

Read More

The 2025 equal pay audit builds on the 2022 audit and is delivered in line with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) methodology. The audit sits alongside the organisation’s annual gender pay gap reporting and forms part of UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) wider reward and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategies. Equal pay findings The 2025 equal pay audit shows there are no significant differences in pay for equal work across UKRI, as defined by the EHRC threshold of plus or minus 5%. When analysing the gap between…

Read More

The report updates on progress against UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) strategy: transforming tomorrow together. The report, which has been laid before parliament, includes a performance report providing a summary of UKRI’s performance and finances. The highlights are quoted from the report are below: Delivery against the strategic objectives The report outlines what has been delivered against the six strategic objectives in the strategy, including the following. People and careers We invested over £500 million in new Doctoral Landscape awards to support around 4,700 studentships across the engineering and physical…

Read More

More than 160 years after Mendel’s pea experiments, scientists have created a powerful genetic map that could revolutionise farming and food production. The breakthrough unlocks vital traits to help develop more sustainable, resilient and nutritious pea crops worldwide. In a major international collaboration, scientists have unlocked the genetic secrets of over 700 varieties of peas from around the world. This has created a powerful genomic resource that could supercharge the development of hardier, more sustainable crops. The work, published in Nature, is being hailed as a game-changer for food security…

Read More