From investment to outcomes: Capabilities to deliver purposeful public investment in research
Think tank: HEPI
Author(s): Sarah Chaytor; Grace Gottlieb
February 19, 2026
This report from UK think tank HEPI considers how to maximise the potential of public spending on research.
A new paper by research impact specialists at UCL, From investment to outcomes: Capabilities to deliver purposeful public investment in research (HEPI Policy Note 69), considers how to maximise the potential of public spending on research.
The new HEPI Policy Note by Sarah Chaytor and Grace Gottlieb argues that strengthening the nation’s research capabilities is essential to delivering the Government’s ambitions for economic growth and societal benefit.
There is a need for a more purposeful, data-driven and outcomes-focused approach to public investment in UK research if we are to achieve UKRI’s strategy of ‘making choices’ to prioritise areas of strength.
Universities and other publicly-funded research organisations provide the foundational capabilities that underpin the UK’s scientific strength, from world‑leading expertise and infrastructure to training future talent and enabling international collaboration.
