Universities awarded funding to help recruit ‘world's top researchers' to UK
Twelve universities and research institutions across the UK have secured an equal share of the fund to help bring some of the world's foremost researchers and their teams to the UK.
The institutions selected are: University of Bath; Queen's University Belfast; University of Birmingham; University of Cambridge; Cardiff University; Imperial College London; University of Oxford; University of Southampton; University of Strathclyde; University of Warwick; 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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Attention all shoppers! This everyday item may soon put up the cost of your weekly shop…
For the sixth month in a row, food prices have risen in the UK – with the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) revealing the worst hit items are basics, such as eggs, meat, cheese and milk. Another casualty of food inflation, according to this month's data, is the humble cuppa – with teabags seeing a sharp increase of 4 per cent this month, up from 3.7 per cent in June. These increases are cumulative. Even if food price inflation falls – and there is precious little sign of that – prices will still rise. The BRC's number isn't quite as bad as that produced by WorldPanel, formerly Kantar, though, which recorded a 5.2 per cent rise during July. But that's just comparing 'bad' with 'worse'. Even so, the fact remains that it's everyday essentials and shopping staples that are going up in price – something we should all be worried about. Food price inflation hits those on low incomes hardest. True, tea isn't something you need in order to live. But come on: if even tea is being pushed into the luxury category there's clearly a larger issue at play. So, what's to blame? As ever, it's down to a combination of factors. Food inflation has risen across the board because of the extra costs loaded onto supermarkets by, you guessed it, the government – including Rachel Reeves' decision to increase employer national insurance contributions (NICs) while lowering the threshold at which the levy kicks in. This has hit grocers particularly hard because of the high number of relatively low-waged staff they employ. The chancellor promised not to tax 'working people', but these figures clearly demonstrate that she has done exactly that. Other regulations have further tightened the screw. Grocers have been chafing at the 'extended producer responsibility scheme' – better known as the packaging tax. April created a cliff edge, with these changes hitting at the same time as a higher minimum wage, which further hiked labour costs. The supermarkets all pay above the minimum and boosted pay rates to keep them above the floor. And don't forget Brexit, which increased the cost of importing food from the EU. (Some of this is on the previous government, of course.) Combined, these measures injected a super-concentrated shot of adrenaline into food prices, exacerbated by the fact that supermarket suppliers had to grapple with the same higher NICs and wage pressures. Some individual food items, however, face specific pressures on top of all that – including tea. Although it might come from abroad, it isn't entirely immune from higher UK labour costs. Yorkshire Tea, for example, is packaged in Harrogate. However, that pales by comparison to the impact of climate change, which hits producers' yields. Like many agricultural crops, tea has rather specific requirements when it comes to temperature, rainfall, humidity and so on. Climate change is leading to more erratic weather conditions – thus lowering production. Add in geopolitical instability – the war in Ukraine, Houthi attacks on shipping, etc – and you can see why the price of your daily cuppa is leaving an unusually bitter taste. The UK-India trade deal should help. But the benefits from lower tariffs are nowhere near enough to stop the kettle boiling. Meat prices have surged as a result of a combination of increased consumption, both globally and locally, and reduced production. Eric Lyons, a Solihull-based butchers, explains in blog post that UK beef consumption is forecast to increase by 1 per cent while production is set to decline by 5 per cent. 'This is further expedited through the closure of farms. Last year, around 30 farms in Scotland shut down, significantly reducing local production and adding to the supply shortage,' the company said. Avian flu, meanwhile, has cut the number of chickens available for slaughter. Butter has been affected by reduced dairy production at a time of high demand and all the other nasties. This helps to explain why hopes that a supermarket price war – which looked to be breaking out a few months back – would put a lid on food price inflation have all but evaporated. Faced with rising consumer discontent, and more and more anguished consumers filling up MPs' inboxes, we can expect politicians to seek scapegoats. This happened the last time food price inflation spiked a couple of years back (when it was even worse). There was a great deal of chuntering among MPs about the grocery sector and the Competition & Markets Authority was drafted in. Here's what it concluded: "Overall, we didn't find widespread evidence of weak competition: profit margins were historically low; consumers were switching to get the best deals; and the lowest-price retailers were gaining market share from others.' So that one isn't going to fly. If the government wants to reduce the burden on 'working people' – the people hardest hit – at a time when so many pressures are pushing prices up, here's what it should do: Reverse the increase in national insurance, scrap the reduced threshold at which it kicks in, repeal the packaging tax, and consider rejoining the European single market. Yes, yes. I know. Those are fantasies. So prices look set to remain elevated. The best we can hope for is for the government not to dream up anything that makes it worse (such as threatening to fine supermarkets for failing to sell enough healthy food to help tackle obesity.) Ministers should think very carefully about such apparently high-minded ideas that come with an expensive sting in the tail. But I'm not holding my breath. Are you?
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Surging US imports and lower tariffs to lift global growth, IMF predicts
Global growth is forecast to be 3% in 2025 and 3.1% in 2026, according to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) latest World Economic Outlook. This is higher than the respective 2.8% and 3% forecast in the previous report in April. UK gross domestic product (GDP) is predicted to be 1.2% this year, and 1.4% in 2026, unchanged from revised forecasts set out in May. The upgrade to the world outlook reflects factors including a strong degree of trade 'front-loading' in recent months – referring to a rush of imports into the US. This has happened as businesses and households tried to get ahead of planned increases to US tariff rates, following Mr Trump's 'liberation day' announcements in April, according to the report. The IMF said front-loading had 'shaped economic activity in the first half of the year', adding that it was 'creating exposures that could amplify the impact of any potential negative shocks'. For example, firms could end up having too much stock, therefore pushing down future imports, or it could lead to additional holding costs or the risk of items becoming obsolete. Meanwhile, the growth upgrade since April was also driven by US tariffs being lowered since higher rates were first announced by Mr Trump, alongside improved conditions in the financial markets. This came after the US struck new trade deals, including with the UK and, most recently, the EU. The introduction of some higher tariff rates have also been paused until August, notably between China and the US, helping diffuse escalating trade tensions and open the door to negotiations. However, the IMF warned that a 'rebound in effective tariff rates could lead to weaker growth' and weigh on wider sentiment. 'Elevated uncertainty could start weighing more heavily on activity, also as deadlines for additional tariffs expire without progress on substantial, permanent agreements,' the report said. Furthermore, the IMF flagged conflict in the Middle East creating potential risks to global shipping and trade, which could further raise commodity prices like oil. On the other hand, the report found that global growth could be lifted if trade negotiations lead to lower tariffs, ease tensions, and create more certainty and predictability. The IMF also highlighted technological advancements, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI), as a way to further boost growth around the world. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: 'The IMF's forecasts show that the UK remains the fastest growing European economy in the G7 despite the global economic challenges we are facing. 'However, I am determined to unlock Britain's full potential, which is why we are investing billions of pounds through our plan for change – in jobs through better city region transport, record funding for affordable homes, as well as backing major projects like Sizewell C to drive economic growth and put more money into people's pockets.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Aldi gives workers ANOTHER pay rise as discount retailer hikes its minimum wage to £13-an-hour
Aldi store workers are set for another pay rise after the budget supermarket announced it was hiking its minimum wage to £13 an hour from September. The grocery chain, which has held the crown of Britain's best paying supermarket employer, claims to be the first to introduce the new minimum rate. Store assistants will be paid at least £13 an hour nationwide from September 1 - up from a current £12.75. This rises to £14.33 an hour for workers within the M25 to counter the additional costs associated with living in the capital. Based on the length of service, Aldi store assistants could see their pay jump to £13.93 nationally, and to £14.64 within the M25. Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: 'Our people are the driving force behind our success across the UK. 'This latest investment in pay is a reflection of their hard work and the incredible contribution they make every single day. 'We're proud to remain the UK's highest-paying supermarket and will continue to support our colleagues in every way we can.' It comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves raised the the UK national minimum wage to £12.21 an hour in April for workers over the age of 21. However, Aldi workers also received a pay increase in January when the supermarket raised its minimum hourly rate to £12.71, up from the previous £12.40. The move put its staff on better pay than those working at their competitors, including upmarket shops like Waitrose and M&S. Other supermarkets have raised their bottom rates for thousands of shop workers in recent months to bring it above the national minimum. Tesco store workers are set to benefit from minimum hourly rates rising to £12.64 an hour from the end of August, having risen to £12.45 from March 30. For Sainsbury's and Argos workers, the national minimum hourly rate will rise to £12.60 in August, having increased to £12 in March. Meanwhile Waitrose workers are paid a minimum of £12.40 an hour and staff at M&S are paid at least £12.60 an hour. Rival German discounter Lidl, earlier this year, increased hourly pay for thousands of workers to £12.75 an hour across the UK. The wage increase was part of a near-£15 million investment into pay by Lidl, who employ more than 35,000 people across the UK. Chief People Officer at Lidl, said: 'We're proud to offer leading pay rates in the sector, while fostering a culture of opportunity and inclusion that helps our teams thrive. 'As we continue to grow, investing in our people remains at the heart of what we do.' Discounters like Aldi and Lidl can likely afford the pay rises because they spend very little on anything else. They undercut rivals by adopting fiercely stringent business practices - from deploying stock onto the floor on its pallets through to minimising the amount spent on advertising. Their brutal efficiency, and dependency on an almost exclusive range of own-name products, means prices are kept low compared to rivals. But this can also land discounters in trouble - particularly when they sail too close to the wind when creating their own brands 'inspired' by the real deal.
