To mark the anniversary of the triggering of article 50, CaSE has published a new Brexit report with policy asks from the science and engineering sector on people, funding and regulation.
The report makes a series of recommendations to Government under two headings:
- To secure an ambitious agreement on research and innovation with the EU
- To coordinate Government efforts to unleash UK science and engineering potential
The recommendations include s
ecuring full UK participation in Framework Programme, abolishing the Tier 2 (General) cap, increasing public investment in R&D to 0.7% of GDP by 2022, and creating a cross-government international research and innovation strategy.
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Immigration Policy Review
Last month CaSE
published its immigration policy review setting out what science and engineering needs from the immigration system and mak
ing a series of recommendations for government action in the short term, the Brexit negotiations and beyond.
The review
calls on the Government to:
- rebuild confidence in the short term
- create a streamlined system in the long term
In the run up to the review's launch, CaSE published a letter calling on the Prime Minister to exempt roles on the Government's Shortage Occupation Lists and PhD level roles from the Tier 2 visa cap. The letter was supported by over 45 organisations from across business, universities, professional institutes and research charities, including many CaSE members.
The Guardian
. In the House of Commons,
Paul Blomfield MP and Layla Moran MP both put forward Parliamentary Questions to Ministers on the report's recommendations. CaSE also signed a further letter to Government on reviewing current visa rules, led by Tech London Advocates and supported by over 60 organisations from across high-tech industries, which featured in The Times.
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At the start of the year CaSE published its first policy review, looking at progress in diversity and inclusion in STEM. The briefing proposes two key recommendations for Government:
- A careers strategy that means business
- Decisive action on diversity data
The report's findings were welcomed by Parliamentarians, with Chi Onwurah MP and Layla Moran MP both asking Parliamentary Questions in the House of Commons on diversity in STEM.
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New organisational members
CaSE are pleased to welcome Empiribox, Jisc, Ulster University and the University of London as new organisational members. We're delighted to welcome such distinguished and dynamic organisations to our growing membership.
CaSE are keen to ensure the needs of the whole science and engineering community are being heard at the highest levels of government. If you are interested in finding out more about organisational membership of CaSE please do contact
Anna Dil.
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CaSE event with Innovate UK in Wales
CaSE, Cardiff University, and the Learned Society of Wales welcomed the Chief Executive of Innovate UK, Dr Ruth McKernan CBE, to Cardiff to give a lecture on Innovate UK's support for UK innovators, with particular focus on Wales. Over 150 guests from across the science and engineering sector were in attendance.
You can
read a summary
of the event, as well as view photos from the evening.
Earlier that day CaSE organised a roundtable in Cardiff between Dr McKernan and representatives from the Welsh research and innovation community, to share views on the policies needed to advance the regions's research and innovation ecosystem. Our thanks to the Welsh Government for hosting and taking part in the discussion.
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Strengthening research and innovation in Northern Ireland
Executive Director Dr Sarah Main has written for the CaSE website
on efforts to protect funding for PhD training in Northern Ireland
. Over the last two months, universities in Northern Ireland have been grappling with the prospect of a £12m cut to higher education budgets, to be met by withdrawing funding from PhD training over the next three years.
Although plans for these proposed cuts have been revised, CaSE has been monitoring the situation closely and working with its members in Northern Ireland. Dr Main has written to the Permanent Secretary of the Department for the Economy, to make a case for a robust PhD funding system to support a sustainable and resilient environment for research and innovation in Northern Ireland.
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Reflections on the UK's R&D funding landscape
Last month saw the publication of the Gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) statistics. The release of these comprehensive figures breaking down UK-based spending on R&D gave Policy Officer James Tooze the opportunity
to take stock of the funding landscape.
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Over the last few CaSE has met with Parliamentarians including
Carol Monaghan MP,
Kirsty Blackman MP, and
Vicky Ford MP, as well as engaging with officials from BEIS, the Office for Life Sciences, Greater Manchester Council, and the Welsh Government, as well as continuing to taking part in the High Level Stakeholder Group on EU Exit, now led by the Universities and Science Minister Sam Gyimah MP.
CaSE has engaged with a wide range of organisational members, including
Airbus, Cancer Research UK, GlaxoSmithKline, Institute of Physics, Queen Mary University of London
Roche, University of Cambridge, and University of Kent.
CaSE has also met with BBC News, GlamSci, HEPI, Midven, Times Higher Education, UK Statistics Authority, and Vitae.
Our staff have attended and contributed to a number of events from the
All-Party Parliamentary Manufacturing Group,
Association of Medical Research Charities,
Blavatnik Awards,
British Science Association,
ChemSoc Presidential Lecture,
Fragomen,
Imperial College London,
Innovate UK,
Institute for Government,
Queen Mary University of London,
The Royal Society,
STEaPP,
US Embassy,
Voice of the Future 2018, and
Wellcome Trust.
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Dr Lindsay Walker, Dr Lindsey Pike, Marsha Wood, and Dr Hannah Durrant on the need for researchers and policy decision-makers
to work better together
Our Guest Blog series brings together topical comment and views from members and collaborators across the science and engineering sector. If you would like to write an article for our blog, please get in touch.
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Department for Education
Closing date: 2 May 2018
HM Treasury
Closing date: 11 May 2018
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