Innovation and research caucus will build UKRI’s evidence base

£7-million project will use social science to inform funder’s own work, says Tim Vorley

Social science studies of the research and innovation system are thriving, both in the UK and internationally. But this research is often not in itself enough to inform policy and practice, and is not meeting the evidence needs of funders and policymakers. The valuable insights offered by academic research are often not translated and picked up.

To address this challenge, UK Research and Innovation is investing £7 million over three years to create an Innovation and Research Caucus as a centre of excellence to provide evidence and insights on the research and innovation system. The IRC will build capacity to enable access to, and support the better use of, evidence.