Why does the Global Talent Fund miss out the North of England? Chair writes to Science Minister about plans to attract overseas talent

Dame Chi Onwurah, Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, has written to Lord Patrick Vallance, Science Minister, for further details on the Government's Global Talent Fund (GTF).  

The recently announced £54 million GTF is aimed at helping 12 UK research institutions and universities attract researchers to the UK, to work in the government's priority sectors.  

In response to an earlier letter from the chair, the Science Minister outlined how each research institution was selected for this funding through a ‘quantitative assessment' based on chosen indicators. The minister stated that this ‘did not yield' institutions based on the north of England, instead pointing to a range of other innovation funding opportunities for the region. Please find the letter from the Minister here. 

In the chair's letter to the Minister, she outlines her disappointment that the funding has recognised the role of devolved nations, but not certain regions of England – in particular, no institution from the North West, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber or the East Midlands was selected for the Fund. This means that some regions of the UK will not be given an equal opportunity to access talent from overseas.  

The letter also asks for clarity on how the government assessed universities to decide which 12 would be selected to receive funding and why these did not include any North of Birmingham. If, as the letter from the Minister says, no northern university passed the assessment for selection, the chair asks for details on the government's plans to address the disparity in regional research capability and skills.  

The Chair has given the Minister until 1 September to reply.  

Dame Chi Onwurah, Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, said:  

“It's disappointing that whilst the Global Talent Fund distribution recognises the role of devolved nations, it doesn't recognise the importance of regions within England. The Fund misses out the north of England entirely, despite being home to many world-class research institutions that would benefit massively from extra help to attract top researchers from abroad. 

“I'm writing to Science Minister, Lord Vallance, to press for further details on how the Government selected the twelve institutions that will receive GTF funding; and why no region north of Birmingham was prioritised. The process he set out in his initial response to me seems neither evidence-based nor geographically based nor even policy-based, but some kind of mishmash based on criteria which, as noted by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, were both arbitrary and inconsistently applied. This approach seems to be at odds with the Government's stated mission to boost opportunities in every part of the country, and I hope the Minister will be able to provide more clarity and context.”