In September 2022 we published a report called ‘Funding Wales’ Future: Investing in universities to drive economic growth’.
Read the summary below or download the report.
A 2022 British Heart Foundation (BHF) Cymru survey found that 82% of people in Wales believe that it’s important for Wales to do medical research.
But to get external investment and to win competitive funding bids, Welsh universities need infrastructure.
Quality-related funding from the Welsh Government
To establish infrastructure at universities, governments provide quality-related (QR) funding based on the quality of research performed by universities.
Unfortunately, the Welsh Government’s spending on QR funding is too low. And this is greatly reducing Wales’s ability to compete for external funding from charities and other sources.
Wales not achieving its potential in research and development (R&D)
Wales makes up 5% of the UK population. However, Wales has just 2% of the R&D spend in the UK.
This includes all money spent on R&D in Wales by charities, industry, the Welsh Government and the health service. This spending is less than half of what should be expected of a population Wales' size.
Low investment from the Welsh Government limits economic success
In 2018 the Reid Review, commissioned by the Welsh Government, placed the highest priority on the role of QR funding in encouraging research and innovation in Wales.
Professor Graeme Reid showed that low QR funding is reducing Wales' ability to win external funding.
The Higher Education Funding Council Wales (HEFCW) budget for 2022/23 is £81.7 million. Research England has announced £1.789 billion for QR funding for 2022/23.
If Welsh universities were supported to compete with England, pro-rata QR funding would be around £100 million.
This shortfall means that Welsh universities do not have the vital infrastructure they need and cannot compete with other universities across the UK for funding.
Our recommendation
The Welsh Government should commit to increasing QR funding by £18 million by the end of the Sixth Senedd.
Read the Funding Wales' Future report (360kb)
Cymraeg
