Overview

• The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology launched the £54 million Global Talent Fund in early August to attract 60–80 leading researchers but named 12 recipients all outside northern England and the East Midlands.
• On August 7, eight mayors including Andy Burnham, Steve Rotheram and Tracy Brabin issued an open letter saying the omission undermines regional contributions and the government’s levelling-up agenda.
• On August 8, Dame Chinyelu Onwurah wrote to Science Minister Lord Vallance seeking full details of the selection criteria and rationale for excluding northern and Midlands institutions.
• Onwurah’s letter sets a September 1 deadline for a response and signals potential parliamentary follow-up if the government fails to justify its decision.
• Critics argue the fund reflects long-standing research investment imbalances that favour London and the South East despite strong innovation and historic European grant success in the North and Midlands.