UCL One of the Rich Kids After Research Grant Bump

UCL receives an extra £8 million in research grants amid general cuts.


UCL is one of three leading British universities to have not had their funding from the UK Research Council cut over the past year, according to data released by Times Higher Education today.

Despite an increased amount of successful applications for funding among the UK’s academic institutions, research council income has generally fallen. Seven of the ten institutions receiving the largest grants saw their funding slashed drastically between the 2010/11 and 2011/12 academic years. Cambridge suffered the largest fall; a 34% decrease from 85.2 million in 2010-11 to £56.2 million in 2011-12 while Imperial received £94.5 million in 2010/11 but £76.7 million last year.

UCL, in contrast, is well in the money with an 8% bump to £71 million, though their number of applications for funding went from 495 to 406. What that extra £5 million will go into researching is unknown at this point. However, we’re putting our money on a long term preservation of Malcolm Grant’s Movember effort. That or ‘science’.

This news also goes hand in hand with Business Secretary Vince Cable announcement today of a £60million investment into over 30 universities across the UK. It is hoped this will encourage entrepreneurship and young scientists and engineers starting their own businesses. UCL, along with Imperial, Brunel and Queen Mary, is set to reap the benefits of this with a share of £12 million.