Multimillion fund to boost science recruitment

Laboratory News 15 July 2017

The government is to invest £100 million (US$130 million) into recruiting skilled scientists from around the world. The Ernest Rutherford Fund will be used to provide fellowships for early career and senior researchers. They will come from not only developed economies but also India, Brazil and Mexico – emerging research powerhouses, reports Laboratory News.

Speaking at the launch event on 4 July, Jo Johnson MP, Universities and Science Minister, said: “We look forward to welcoming these talented Rutherford research fellows to the UK. The Rutherford Fund will send a strong signal that, even as we leave the European Union, we are open to the world and will reinforce our ambition of making the UK the go-to country for innovation and discovery.”

In last year’s Autumn Statement, the government announced large increases in public research and development, totalling almost £5 billion. This includes an additional £2 billion a year by 2020-21, an increase of approximately 20% of government spending. A few months ago, in April, Business Secretary Greg Clark announced an Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to commit more than £1 billion to research over the next four years.
Full report on the Laboratory News site

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