New President speaks out on challenges to science
05 December 2025Paul Nurse, the new President of the Royal Society has criticised those who put ideology ahead of evidence and called for smarter funding of UK science. In interviews with the BBC and The Times, to mark the start of his term of office, the President has spoken about the challenges that science is facing and how the UK can provide leadership in a world where science is under threat.
Speaking to the BBC he said that, while still a global leader, UK science was fragile because of funding pressures and the way funding is delivered. The President also highlighted challenges in attracting leading global researchers, which we need alongside our own home-grown talent, because of expensive visa fees and the negative signals sent about Britain’s openness.
Speaking to The Times the President compared funding in countries like China to that available in the UK. He highlighted that the government only invests around half a percent of GDP in science, a figure that leaves the UK well down OECD league tables. He also criticised attacks on American science by the current US administration.