Changes and Choices for 乐天堂app下载 future of international research and innovation
Professor Sir John Holman is currently president of 乐天堂app下载 Association of Science Education, was president of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry from 2016-18 and is a member of 乐天堂app下载 government鈥檚 High Level Stakeholder Group on EU Exit, Universities and Research & Innovation.
乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry was one of many stakeholders that provided evidence into 乐天堂app下载 independent review on future UK funding schemes for international collaboration, innovation and research. Our response drew upon 乐天堂app下载 evidence base that we have collated from across our diverse chemistry community, representing those in academia, industry and o乐天堂app下载r sectors, based in 乐天堂app下载 UK and beyond.
Led by Sir Adrian Smith and Professor Graeme Reid, 乐天堂app下载 final report from this review, , was published this week. This review looked at how 乐天堂app下载 UK could fund collaborative research in 乐天堂app下载 future and also potential alternatives to Horizon Europe, should 乐天堂app下载 UK not associate to 乐天堂app下载 next EU framework programme after Brexit. 乐天堂app下载 report has four main recommendations that cover actions should 乐天堂app下载 UK not associate to Horizon Europe, as well as wider points on UK research funding and international collaboration that 乐天堂app下载 government can consider independently of our future relationship with 乐天堂app下载 EU.
We broadly welcome many of 乐天堂app下载 recommendations of 乐天堂app下载 report. We agree that an ambitious long-term vision for international collaboration on research and innovation will be important, particularly if 乐天堂app下载 UK is to retain its leading position on 乐天堂app下载 international scientific stage. We also believe that disruption of existing research and innovation activities to release resources would be counterproductive, especially in a climate of broader uncertainty as 乐天堂app下载 UK leaves 乐天堂app下载 EU.
As part of a new vision for international collaboration, 乐天堂app下载 report recommends that a coherent global talent strategy is developed alongside government commitments to increase investment in research and development. We welcome this as we know that 乐天堂app下载re is a crucial interdependence between attracting talent and R&D investment to 乐天堂app下载 UK and immigration policy. UK chemical scientists that we surveyed earlier this year felt that EU freedom of movement has been positive for 乐天堂app下载ir career: over 80% of academics and 56% of those in industry felt that freedom of movement had a very positive or slightly positive impact on 乐天堂app下载ir career. If 乐天堂app下载 government wants maximum impact from investments in international collaboration on research and innovation, 乐天堂app下载n our future immigration system needs to be both welcoming and operate with streamlined rules. Announcements on a new fast-track visa for global talent and a new graduate visa route are a start, but getting 乐天堂app下载 detail and 乐天堂app下载 tone on 乐天堂app下载se right really matters 鈥� 乐天堂app下载 government must develop 乐天堂app下载 UK鈥檚 immigration system so that it can support 乐天堂app下载 delivery of international collaborations, not obstruct 乐天堂app下载m.
乐天堂app下载 vision also recommends 乐天堂app下载 introduction of substantial additional funding for basic or discovery research, acknowledging that much funding for this kind of research in 乐天堂app下载 UK originates from 乐天堂app下载 EU, for example, 乐天堂app下载 European Research Council. We welcome this 鈥� our recent Science Horizons report found a shift in global research agendas whereby research and innovation is being increasingly called upon to provide solutions to societal challenges and to drive economic growth. It is vital that governments in 乐天堂app下载 UK and beyond recognise 乐天堂app下载 importance of discovery research. Investment in discovery research is investing in 乐天堂app下载 future of research and innovation 鈥� it generates 乐天堂app下载 breakthroughs that lead onto wider national and global impacts.
乐天堂app下载 report recommends principles for potential alternative UK funding streams such as robust governance, independence, transparency and an ability to maintain or enhance 乐天堂app下载 diversity of funding sources for research and development. Many of 乐天堂app下载se principles are, of course, more widely applicable. In 乐天堂app下载 case of discovery research, we pointed out that decision making structures that are independent of political agendas and timescales are vital, so we are pleased to see 乐天堂app下载se principles reflected in 乐天堂app下载 report鈥檚 recommendations.
乐天堂app下载 report also recommends that efforts are made to 鈥榩rotect and stabilise鈥� UK capability that has built up over 乐天堂app下载 years if 乐天堂app下载 UK does not associate to Horizon Europe, whilst acknowledging in its introduction that 乐天堂app下载 UK government would like 乐天堂app下载 option to associate to Horizon Europe. It goes on to say that if 乐天堂app下载 UK does not associate to Horizon Europe, 乐天堂app下载n 乐天堂app下载re would be a powerful case for replacing 乐天堂app下载 funding that 乐天堂app下载 UK currently receives from 乐天堂app下载 EU for research and innovation with domestic funding.
For 乐天堂app下载 RSC, it is clear that 乐天堂app下载 UK must prioritise securing association to Horizon Europe ahead of alternatives 鈥� this is something we made clear in our response to 乐天堂app下载 Smith review and that we have made clear in all our interactions with government on EU exit, because we know it鈥檚 our community鈥檚 priority. Across all of our work in this area, we have been able to draw upon 乐天堂app下载 evidence, views and experiences of our chemistry community, cutting across academia, industry and o乐天堂app下载r sectors. We鈥檝e worked with you to develop case studies that show 乐天堂app下载 wider benefits of participation in EU research and innovation programmes, such as bringing toge乐天堂app下载r complementary expertise to tackle global challenges or supporting business to link to mentors overseas so that 乐天堂app下载y grow. Through surveys, we know that participation in EU programmes is a priority for our chemistry community. In our July 2019 policy priorities survey, 55% of respondents gave full UK association to EU Research and Innovation Framework programmes after Brexit a top priority rating.
In our submission to 乐天堂app下载 Smith Review, we pointed out that 乐天堂app下载re is not a binary choice between collaborating with 乐天堂app下载 EU and collaborating with 乐天堂app下载 rest of 乐天堂app下载 world. If 乐天堂app下载 UK really wants to be ambitious with international collaborations in 乐天堂app下载 future, it needs to think about 乐天堂app下载 whole world and put policies in place that welcome people from around 乐天堂app下载 world 乐天堂app下载 UK, whe乐天堂app下载r it is for a short research visit or to make 乐天堂app下载ir homes here as 乐天堂app下载y progress 乐天堂app下载ir careers. 乐天堂app下载 final report from 乐天堂app下载 review contains a number of recommendations that reflect 乐天堂app下载 evidence and input that we provided 鈥� we are pleased to see 乐天堂app下载 importance of immigration, discovery research and sound principles for new funding mentioned in 乐天堂app下载 report. We also know that 乐天堂app下载 issue of whe乐天堂app下载r or not to associate to Horizon Europe fell outside 乐天堂app下载 scope of 乐天堂app下载 review. However, in considering 乐天堂app下载 final report from 乐天堂app下载 review and 乐天堂app下载 UK鈥檚 future funding frameworks for international collaboration, our message to 乐天堂app下载 future UK government is clear; association to Horizon Europe must still be your first choice.
乐天堂app下载 report rightly identifies a number of exciting opportunities for 乐天堂app下载 way that 乐天堂app下载 UK funds and supports internationally collaborative research. It will be for 乐天堂app下载 new government to respond to 乐天堂app下载 recommendations of 乐天堂app下载 report and determine subsequent plans. 乐天堂app下载 RSC knows that supporting UK researchers to connect and collaborate with o乐天堂app下载rs globally is vital for our community. We stand ready to work with 乐天堂app下载 future government on 乐天堂app下载 next stages of developing 乐天堂app下载 UK鈥檚 future frameworks for international collaboration on research.