The Minister of State for Higher Education and Intellectual Property, within BIS supported by the Director General University and Skills, has responsibility for the higher education that is central to the nation's research capability.

Core public funding for such higher education research is provided through the "dual support" system". One stream is through the Higher Education Funding Councils in England (HEFCE) Scotland (SHEFC), Wales (HEFCW) and the Department of Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland. This stream supports the underpinning research capability of the universities with the strategic aim to develop and sustain a dynamic higher education research capability of international standing contributing to economic prosperity, national well being and the expansion and dissemination of knowledge. The funding is distributed on a selective basis of dependence on performance of research as measured by the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

The other stream of funding is provided through the Research Councils under the responsibility of the Director General of Science and Research who is responsible to the Minister of State for Science and Innovation.