UK Government Ignors North of England in Scientist Recruitment Program
In a recent development, Dame Chinyelu "Chi" Onwurah, Chair of the UK Parliament's Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, has penned a letter to the Minister of State for Science, Lord Patrick Vallance, expressing concerns about the distribution of benefits from the Global Talent Fund (GTF).
The GTF, announced by the government, aims to attract top scientific minds from abroad to work in Britain. However, Dame Onwurah has voiced her disappointment that the fund recognizes the importance of the devolved nations but seems to overlook large swathes of England, particularly institutions in the North.
The crux of the issue lies in the eligibility criteria for the GTF's academic and research route. Institutions in the North of England are generally not included on the approved list of UK higher education institutions and research institutes eligible under this scheme. This approved list, curated by the endorsing bodies (British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Society, UK Research and Innovation), tends to focus on specific institutions that meet the visa criteria for leadership and research excellence.
As a result, many institutions in the North of England are currently not on this approved employer list, leading to their exclusion from the Global Talent visa fund eligibility. This limitation appears to be a function of the visa guidelines and the Home Office’s partnership with select endorsing bodies, which have criteria for institutional recognition focusing on leadership roles, research funding, and innovation leadership that might currently favor certain institutions, often found in the South or established research hubs.
The exclusion of Northern institutions from the GTF is not due to a separate policy but rather a structural issue, as the mechanism of restricting endorsements to approved institutions effectively excludes many Northern universities from participating directly in this fast-track immigration route. Consequently, applicants affiliated with Northern institutions may find it more challenging to gain endorsement under this visa route.
In her letter, Dame Onwurah has given the Minister until September 1 to respond, asking for details on how the government assessed which institutions to select for funding and why these did not include any in England that are north of Birmingham.
It is worth noting that institutions like the University of Manchester, which has previously received €143 million ($167 million) of European Research Council funding across 83 projects since 2007, more than the University of Southampton, which was one of those selected in the GTF, are currently not on the approved list.
This issue raises concerns about equity and access within the UK's scientific community, as the Global Talent Fund was designed to attract top scientific minds from abroad. However, with many Northern institutions excluded, the potential for these institutions to contribute to this goal is significantly limited.
In a historical context, the city of Manchester is renowned for its contributions to the UK's IT industry, with a scale replica of the pioneering Manchester Baby and Manchester Mark 1 computers, arguably the genesis of the UK's IT industry, on display at the city's Science and Industry Museum. This further underscores the potential for Northern institutions to make significant contributions in the realm of science and technology.
As the debate around the distribution of benefits from the Global Talent Fund continues, it is hoped that a solution can be found to ensure a more equitable distribution of opportunities across the UK.
- The exclusion of Northern institutions from the Global Talent Fund's approved list poses a challenge for attracting top artificial intelligence (AI) and technology experts, considering Manchester's significant historical contributions to the UK's IT industry.
- The inequitable distribution of benefits from the Global Talent Fund, designed to attract top scientific minds, is concerning, as it overlooks finance opportunities for universities in the North of England, such as the University of Manchester, which has a strong history of scoring significant research funding in science.
