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IN aquaculture, funding either comes directly from government via research councils, or privately from industry.

There used to be seven research councils, with BBRSC and NERC being the two most likely to open funding calls for fundamental aquaculture research.

However, these are in the process of being amalgamated into one body, UK Research and Innovation.

UKRI is the new funding organisation for research and innovation in the UK. It brings together the seven UK research councils, Innovate UK and a new organisation, Research England, working closely with its partner organisations in the devolved administrations.

The UK government has committed to reaching 2.4 per cent of GDP investment in R&D by 2027 (currently 1.7 per cent), and to reaching three per cent in the longer term.

Historically, aquaculture research has received far less funding than other science disciplines. However, BBSRC & NERC recently committed £6 million to aquaculture funding as part of their Aquaculture Initiative 2014-2017.

ARCH-UK was funded under the aquaculture initiative in 2017 and has a responsibility to report on the outputs of the research funded under this initiative, which it does at annual science events (ASEs).

end of June 2019 in Stirling, the third in Swansea 2020.

SAIC and KTN also offer funding for aquaculture research that is closer