On March 23, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced the 2011 UK budget, which includes a number of measures to improve UK R&D. The budget adds £100 million ($162 million) for research infrastructure at existing campuses and clusters. The National Institute for Health Research will award a minimum of £775 million over five years to establish biomedical research centers for translational research partnerships. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) will provide £45 million to establish nine university-based innovative manufacturing centers in areas like biological pharmaceuticals and intelligent automation by 2012. The EPSRC will also provide at least six researchers with £1 million each over five years for manufacturing fellowships. A new Cell Therapy Technology and Innovation Center will support drug development and new technologies for manufacturing, quality control, and safety and efficiency. A regulatory agency will be created to streamline regulation for health research and improve the efficiency of clinical trials. In addition, the government will raise the rate of R&D tax relief for small businesses to 200% as of April 1, 2011, and 225% as of April 1, 2012, and will devote £20 million over the next two years to the Small Business Research Initiative.

Source: HM Treasury