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The UK government in yesterday’s budget stated that they “will continue [their] drive to help commercialise research and ensure the UK economy benefits from its world leading science base.” They announced three major investments in science, totaling £222 million.

Over the next 5 years, £74 million will be invested in the UK’s Catapult network. £55 million will fund a Cell Therapy Manufacturing Centre  (a large-scale facility developing cell therapies for late-stage clinical trials), and a further £19 million for state-of-the-art equipment for the research and development of novel graphene products, for small and medium-sized enterprises.

An additional 20 doctoral training centres in the UK will be funded over the same period, creating more partnerships between universities, businesses and government in new technologies research and in training postgraduate students. These centres are superceding the more traditional grant-centred PhDs, as reported by Nature in 2012.

The government also announced that an Alan Turing Institute will be created over the next five years, specializing in the collection, analysis and application of ‘big data’.

A more detailed strategy for the UK’s investment in science and innovation is expected this autumn.

In our tweetchat on 19^th February (#F1000talks), ‘What’s standing between you and your PhD?’, PhD funding and the science job market was discussed, amongst other things. In light of that conversation, government investment in research and doctoral training centres should be well received by the scientific community.

Let us know your thoughts on yesterday’s UK government budget announcement and the impact it may have on your research career.