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Research capital funding - the Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF)

The aims of the Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF) were to address a historic backlog of upgrading and updating required by the physical university research infrastructure across the UK, and to assist the Northern Ireland universities to operate on a sustainable basis.  Introduced in 2002, it comprised funding provided by the then Office of Science and Innovation (OSI) and the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL).

£7m of government funding was invested through the first round of SRIF, supporting the establishment of four projects between 2001 and 2005. The second round (SRIF 2) ran from 2004 to 2009 and invested a total of £19.3m of government funding, supporting fourteen projects.  This consisted of £11.6m from the OSI and £7.7m from the Department. A third round invested a total of £23.6m between 2006 and 2009. As with SRIF 2, it comprised funding provided by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) (formerly OSI, and since reformed as the  Department for Business, Innovation and Skills external link (BIS)) and DEL. This funding consisted of £15.1m from DIUS and £8.5m from the Department.

A list of projects supported is available by clicking the following link: SRIF Projects

An evaluation of the second round of SRIF funding and its wider benefits was carried out on behalf of the four UK funding bodies by the Technopolis Group. This report is now available to download as a PDF or Word Document and can be accessed via the following link: .http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rdreports/2009/rd07_09/. external link

Research Capital Investment Fund (RCIF)

The Research Capital Investment Fund (RCIF),  was a new permanent stream of capital funding which replaced SRIF. It provided funding between 2008 to 2011 and invested a total of £33.9m (£11.4m from BIS and £22.5m from DEL) to continue to support the physical research infrastructure within the local HE sector.

A list of the projects being supported is available by clicking the following link: RCIF Projects.

For further information, please contact HE Research Policy Branch external link (tel: 02890 257 693).

Higher Education Research Capital (HERC)

For the period 2011 to 2015 the Department combined both learning and teaching and research capital into one funding stream.  The research element of this is known as the Higher Education Research Capital Fund (HERC) and it utilises monies from BIS and DEL.  HERC aims to:

  • contribute to the long-term financial sustainability of a HEI’s research activities and the supporting physical infrastructure;
  • contribute to addressing the remaining past underinvestment in a HEI’s infrastructure for research; and
  • promote world-leading research capability in all disciplines with the capacity to respond to developing national/regional priorities.

Allocations for the full period have yet to be confirmed, but the Department has committed to at least match fund the BIS contribution, and full details of the projects will appear on this website in due course.