Geniuses wanted: UK universities share £54m fund to lure top researchers

Twelve institutions aim to attract up to 80 researchers to Britain

The five-year government fund, which starts in 2025/26, will cover visa and relocation costs for researchers and family members. Getty Images

Twelve leading universities and research organisations have been selected to deliver a £54 million government fund to recruit world-leading researchers to the UK.

The Global Talent Fund, administered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), aims to attract up to 80 researchers in high-priority sectors such as life sciences and digital technologies.

The 12 selected universities and research institutions across Britain have secured an equal share of the fund. They are: Bath, Queen’s Belfast, Birmingham, Cambridge, Cardiff, Imperial College London, Oxford, Southampton, Strathclyde and Warwick universities, as well as the John Innes Centre and MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology.

The five-year government fund, which starts in 2025/26, will cover all eligible costs with no requirement for match funding from research organisations.

Visa and relocation costs for researchers and their family members will be covered by the fund.

Science minister Lord Vallance said: “Genius is not bound by geography. But the UK is one of the few places blessed with the infrastructure, skills base, world-class institutions and international ties needed to incubate brilliant ideas, and turn them into new medicines that save lives, new products that make our lives easier, and even entirely new jobs and industries.

“Bringing these innovations to life, here in Britain, will be critical to delivering this government’s Plan For Change.

“My message to the bold and the brave who are advancing new ideas, wherever they are, is: our doors are open to you.

“We want to work with you, support you, and give you a home where you can make your ideas a reality we all benefit from.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “The UK is home to some of the world’s best universities which are vital for attracting international top talent.

“Supported by our new Global Talent Taskforce, the Global Talent Fund will cement our position as a leading choice for the world’s top researchers to make their home here, supercharging growth and delivering on our Plan For Change.”