A �1bn boost for scientific research, aimed at curtailing the brain-drain of scientists to the United States, is to be announced by the UK Government.

Chancellor Gordon Brown will outline the plans on Wednesday at a conference on British and American investment.

Most of the �1bn will come directly from the Treasury, but �200m will come from the science charity the Wellcome Trust.

The extra cash will be used to modernise university laboratories and to fund students wishing to carry out further research.

The money amounts to a 50% increase in spending on science and will run for a two-year period, starting in 2002.

The government said it was announcing the funding ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review, due to be published later this month, to show the importance placed on science.