Ministers have been accused of undermining innovation in the north of England after six universities from the south were awarded £10m each to hire overseas talent, with none selected between Birmingham and Glasgow. The £54m global talent fund, administered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), aims to attract top international academics and was awarded to 12 institutions across Britain, including the 'golden triangle' of Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College London.
Labour MP Chi Onwurah, chair of the Commons science, innovation and technology committee, said she is demanding an explanation from science minister Patrick Vallance. 'This funding decision seems to be at odds with the government's stated mission to boost opportunities in every part of the country,' she said. The Northern Powerhouse Partnership, a thinktank, described the selection criteria as 'arbitrary and inconsistently applied,' noting that seven northern universities met a key threshold of at least £5m in international research funding but were overlooked.
The thinktank obtained UKRI's criteria under the Freedom of Information Act and found that larger northern institutions like Manchester, Leeds, and Newcastle were disadvantaged by requirements related to the proportion of overseas staff. Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said the fund 'undermines innovation in the north' and called for fairer treatment. A government spokesperson defended the selection, stating that institutions across all four nations were chosen based on measurable criteria and that the government is committed to regional growth through schemes like the local innovation partnerships fund.
