Building a Globally Competitive National Research Capability

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Building a Globally Competitive National Research
Capability
Keith ONions DGRC Dublin, April 2005
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Government Science Policy
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10-year investment framework
The 10 Year Vision
We want Britain to be the most attractive
location in the world for science and innovation
Chancellor of the Exchequer, July 2004
Britain will only have a competitive edge if we
develop world leadership in the most
technologically intensive and science based
industries and services
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Feb 2005
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The 10 Year Framework
World class research
A research base that is responsive to needs of
economy and public good
Increased business investment in RD
A strong supply of scientists, engineers and
technologists
Sustainable and financially robust universities
and public laboratories
Confidence in, and increased awareness of,
research and emerging technologies
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Government Science Policy
There have been similar Government goals for 60
years
US policy following Vannevar Bush (1946) 1. War
against disease 2. Public welfare (national
security, international exchange of
information, and science for jobs)
The 1960s Robins Committee identified 1.
Economic growth 2. Promotion of higher cultural
standards
What has changed is the evidence upon which it is
based, the effectiveness of its delivery and the
level of support
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The Science Budget
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Challenges
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Dual Support Structure
UK science engineering base (2002/3) 5bn
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The Sustainability Problem

• Under-investment in university infrastructure
  highlighted in the Dearing Report in 1997
• Transparency Review detailed
• Backlog
• Recurrent gap
• Persistent failure to invest in research
  infrastructure (Investing in Innovation)

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More Than Dual Support
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Research Overtrading
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Challenges
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Current Standing of UK SEB
Evidence that some key underpinning disciplines
are on the wrong trajectory
Source Evidence Ltd.
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Challenges
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RD Target
10 Year Framework aims to increase RD as a
percentage of GDP from 1.9 2.5
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International RD by Sector
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10-year investment framework
RD Capital Flows
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Government Response
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A Role for Engineering
One of the highest priorities in research funding
for next 3 years extra 30m from the last
Spending Review
Joint BBSRC/EPSRC Stem Cell Science Engineering
Initiative
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Clinical Research
Translational research medical advance to
bedside
Extra 25m allocated to MRC in last Spending
Review
NHS plays fuller role with the Research Councils
and medical charities
Role of UK Clinical Research Collaboration
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Energy Research
Aim to have underpinning SET research across
energy options (Research Council investment to
increase to c.70m per year)
Support for fusion and nuclear, through clean
hydrocarbons to photvoltaics
Future tightly coupled to Government policy
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Government Response
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Full Economic Cost

• A price which, if recovered across an institutes
  full programme, would recover the total cost
  (direct, indirect and total overhead) of the
  institute, including an adequate recurring
  investment in the institutes infrastructure.

• Includes academic time and consumables, libraries
  and admin, cost of capital and depreciation.

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Full Economic Cost Sustainability

• Research Councils to pay 80 of FEC applied-for
  from September 2005. Fixed for 4 years
  intention to move close to 100 by start of next
  decade.
• QR (growing at 6 pa) will
• Cover the remaining 20 from RC grants
• Provide FEC for grants from charities and EU
• Support the humanities
• Pay for pre-proposal research (blue-skies)
• 500m pa capital investment in research
  infrastructure

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Government Response
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Knowledge Transfer Innovation
Research Councils
BERD

INNOVATION KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
BUSINESS SECTOR
Funding Councils
RD Tax Credits
Other Funders (e.g. Charities)
Other Funders (e.g.OGDs RDAs)
DTI Technology Strategy
HEIF
PSRE Fund
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10-year investment framework
Research Support to UK Universities
HEFCE supports 120 Higher Education Institutes.
In 2003/4 QR allocated 33 to top 5 50 to
top 10 75 to top 25
In 2002/3 RCs allocated 29 to top 5 45 to
top 10 84 to top 25
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Higher Education Innovation Fund
Rising to 110m pa by 2007-08 (science-push)
Expectation that 75 allocated formulaically
to build capacity in universities 25 allocated
through competition for innovative collaborative
projects
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Technology Strategy
Rising to 178m pa by 2007-08 (business pull)
Funds collaborative RD and Knowledge Transfer
Networks
Total funding to date by technology area
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A Strategy for Business RD
Over the next 10 years the UK needs to
Maintain or grow sectors where the UK is strong
Attract RD investment into the UK from
multinationals
Increase RD intensity in firms or sectors that
are lagging behind their peers
Develop new RD intensive sectors through the
creation and growth of RD intensive SMEs