Using publicly available data from the UK's Gateway to Research (GtR), this analysis examines whether UKRI research grant costs (specifically BBSRC and MRC) have increased above inflation since 2015. The data shows that median annual project costs in 2022–2024 exceeded inflation-adjusted 2015 values — BBSRC projects averaged £190.9K/yr in 2024 vs. an inflation-adjusted £142.5K/yr. Salary costs have not kept pace with inflation, suggesting the rise is driven by non-salary lines such as indirects, equipment, and running costs. The full R code using ggplot2, ggridges, and dplyr is provided.
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