The UK’s R&D budget has been reduced to £6.4 billion ($10 billion) per year for the next four years, as part of a package of public spending cuts. In real terms, the freeze will amount to about a 10% reduction. Around £2 million ($3.1 million) of the UK’s annual science budget is given directly to universities for scientific infrastructure. Several high-profile investments will continue, including expansion of Cambridge’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology and building of the £600 million ($944 million) UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation. Funding of these projects is in addition to the annual science budget. The remaining annual budget funds go to the seven Research Councils for their research institutes and for them to allocate as grants. The Research Councils will be expected to make efficiency savings of £324 million ($509.1 million). However, medical research funding will be allowed to stay on track with inflation. Also protected is the budget of the Technology Strategy Board, which funds translational research. There will also be investment in clean technologies and renewable energy. Source: Science Business