UKRI launches six-year programme to connect people with research and innovation

The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is launching a six-year programme designed to help people across the United Kingdom engage with publicly funded research and innovation and shape conversations about its future, according to a press release issued on 27 October 2026. The initiative will be delivered by the British Science Association in collaboration with organizations from across the UK research engagement sector. It forms a key part of UKRI’s strategy to enable the public to engage with and influence research and innovation. The programme will focus particularly on young people and communities currently underrepresented in research and innovation. It aims to help participants explore how research affects their everyday lives and ensure their perspectives inform future discussions.

As part of the initiative, UKRI is making £2.7 million of grant funding available to schools and local communities to support engagement activities over the next six years. The funding will provide free kit boxes for primary schools to help pupils develop skills that underpin research and innovation. It will also create opportunities for secondary schools to connect with research and local researchers. Community-led projects exploring how research and innovation can address local priorities will be supported. Longer-term collaborations between community organizations and researchers are also included.

The programme will feature a series of dialogues with young people across the UK, giving them opportunities to share their views directly on issues linked to research and innovation. The first dialogue will explore the use of artificial intelligence in education, offering insight into young people’s views on a rapidly developing area. Learning from these conversations will help inform UKRI’s wider understanding of public perspectives on emerging technologies. The wider celebration will showcase researchers, innovators and research-inspired activity from across the UK. It will help people discover how research and innovation contribute to improving lives, communities and livelihoods.

Poli Stuart-Lacey, Chief of External Affairs, Communications and Public Engagement at UKRI, welcomed the collaboration. “We know from UKRI’s Public Attitudes to Science survey and other studies that while people have high levels of trust in researchers, many simply do not see how research and innovation connects to their everyday lives,” she said. She added that the UK-wide celebration will help bridge that gap by creating opportunities for people to explore, discuss and engage with research and innovation. Stuart-Lacey also noted that the programme will ensure the views of young people and communities help shape future conversations. Hannah Russell, Chief Executive of the British Science Association, said the organization was “delighted” to have been selected to deliver the ambitious new programme.

Russell added that the programme builds on the association’s long track record of creating meaningful connections between society and research. She confirmed plans to work in close partnership with UKRI and a wide network of organizations to deliver an inclusive and collaborative programme over the next six years. Applications for the first funding opportunities are open now. Activity will begin from 2027 and continue throughout the six-year programme. The initiative is expected to strengthen connections between the public, researchers and innovators across the UK.