We highlight chemistry’s unique and varied value to the UK economy, and offer expert advice on how research and innovation and the funding which supports it should be allocated, regulated and assessed. Where new evidence is needed to inform research and innovation policy, we conduct our own research in partnership with the chemical sciences research and innovation community.
Also in Research & innovation:
International funding, collaboration and chemicals regulation
Innovation, commercialisation and knowledge exchange
In this section:
- Funding
- Open Science
- Assessment
- Legislation
Funding
A new research funding agency
The UK government plans to invest £800m of public funding by 2024-25 to support high-risk, high-reward research that brings about transformative change to the benefit of the UK economy and society. It is modelled after the US Advanced Research Projects Agency (now DARPA) set up in the late 1950s.
February 2021
Drawing on evidence from a workshop with members of our R&D Landscape Collective, we recommend that the proposed new UK funding agency be carefully integrated into the existing research and innovation landscape, have the flexibility to invest on timescales beyond parliamentary horizons, and embed inclusion and diversity in its practices and procedures from the outset.
Royal Society of Chemistry evidence: Making a new ARPA-style funding agency work in the UK
September 2020
In April 2020, the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee launched an inquiry into the government's plans. Our submission builds on evidence from members of our community who have worked with similar funding agencies in the US.
Many of our recommendations for creating a successful UK analogue were echoed in the Committee's report, including the need to clearly define the agency's purpose and its unique role in the wider UK R&D landscape, for it to be able to operate independently and pursue high-risk research in a small number of mission areas.
Royal Society of Chemistry evidence: A new UK research funding agency
House of Commons Science and Technology Committee inquiry report: A new UK research funding agency
Science research funding in universities
June 2019
In our response to the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee’s inquiry into science research funding in universities, we outline the role of research in universities in helping to meet the government’s target for combined public and private investment in research. We also highlight the value of quality related (QR) funding to universities and the importance of discovery research, much of which is carried out in universities.
Royal Society of Chemistry response to inquiry into science research funding in universities
High-level challenges for the Global Challenges Research Fund
August 2016
In the 2015 Spending Review the UK Government announced a £1.5 billion Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) to support cutting-edge research that addresses the challenges faced by developing countries.
In our response to the Research Councils UK call for evidence we supported the choice of Clean Energy, Health and Sustainable Agriculture among the high-level challenge themes for the fund. We suggested that Water and Resource Efficiency / Circular Economy be added as challenge themes. Our response is based on evidence demonstrating the potential of research to make progress in tackling these challenges, the extent of existing UK capability in these research areas and examples of existing links between the UK research community and DAC countries.
Our response to RCUK Call for Evidence on the Global Challenges Research Fund
Open science
Higher Education and Research Bill 2016
January 2017
Our work on the Higher Education and Research Bill 2016 has focussed on key themes where changes could be made to strengthen the Bill for a more positive impact on the UK’s higher education and research sector. These themes are:
- Support for fundamental, strategic and applied research
- Safeguards on the remits and activities of the research councils
- Effective coordination between the Office for Students and UK Research and Innovation
- Support for strategically important and vulnerable subjects
January 2017: Together with the Institute of Physics, we prepared a joint briefing for peers as the Bill passes through the House of Lords, outlining how the Bill could be amended to benefit higher education and research along the key themes above.
IOP-RSC briefing for peers on the Higher Education and Research Bill 2016
October 2016: We responded to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee inquiry into the “Role and priorities of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) interim chair”. Our response highlights the need for the interim chair to bring the new structure of UKRI into effective order and ensure that support for fundamental research and training the next generation of researchers remain central to UKRI’s role.
August 2016: We submitted evidence to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee, recommending changes that would protect some of the distinctive characteristics of our current HE and Research sector and provide clarity on responsibility for postgraduate students.
Our response to the Public Bill Committee on the Higher Education and Research Bill 2016
Legislation
HEFCE's consultation on the second Research Excellence Framework
April 2017
A HEFCE consultation was launched which set out proposals on how to implement the next Research Exellence Framework, building on the REF 2014 and incorporating the principles identified in Lord Stern's Independent Review of the REF. The stated aims of the proposals were to reduce the burden associated with the REF process while maintaining and improving incentives for research excellence. In our response we focused on proposed changes which would significantly impact the outcome for chemistry in REF 2021.
Response to HEFCE's consultation on the second Research Excellence Framework
Higher Education and Research Bill 2016: Public Bill Committee
August 2016
We submitted evidence to the Public Bill Committee on the Higher Education and Research Bill 2016. We outline how the legislation should be amended to protect some of the distinctive characteristics of our current HE and research system, provide clarity on responsibility for postgraduate students and promote cooperation and information sharing between the research and teaching bodies.
Our response to the Public Bill Committee on the Higher Education and Research Bill 2016
Strategy for UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences
October 2017
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is a UK Research Council investing £469 million in world class bioscience in 2016-2017. In October 2017, the BBSRC invited comments to help share their future strategy. Our response highlighted the impact of Chemistry and chemists to past, present and future breakthroughs in biotechnology and biological sciences. We re-emphasised that infrastructure, people and talent; collaboration and partnership, between disciplines and sectors both nationally and internationally, are key to underpinning UK’s bioscience base.
RSC Response to BBSRC Strategy for UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences
Assessment
Lord Stern’s review of the Research Excellence Framework
April 2016
A UK-wide review chaired by Lord Stern was launched to review the Research Excellence Framework (REF) to ensure that future university research funding is allocated more efficiently, offers greater rewards for excellent research and reduces the administrative burden on institutions.
In our response we concluded that while the costs of the REF to institutions and HEFCE should be reduced where possible, a balance will need to be struck to maintain the quality and effectiveness of this exercise. We welcomed the opportunity to respond to the above consultation, and would be pleased to continue working with the Government as plans develop and further details are available.
UK Research and Development Strategy
February 2021
The UK research and development system has been highly agile and responsive to the emerging social, health and economic needs of the UK as we respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. The crisis has highlighted successes but also exposed vulnerabilities in the UK research and innovation funding system. We call on government to set out a pathway to meeting is research investment ambitions, draw on evidence from the research and innovation community to deliver fit-for-purpose funding solutions and deliver approaches that will support, retain and develop the people needed to support recovery.
Royal Society of Chemistry Briefing: UK Research and Development Strategy
July 2020
At a time when the research community is both fighting and feeling impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic, we call on government to set out transparent plans for increased investment, protect and stabilise key parts of the UK R&D system and work across departments to deliver the future skilled workforce the UK needs.
Budget 2020 - RSC Submission
February 2020
Our submission to the government ahead of the 2020 Budget sets out recommendations to ensure that increased public UK R&D investment, alongside measures to support science education from school through to university, balances regional prosperity, positions the UK as an innovation leader, and improves the UK’s ability to leverage private R&D investment.
Enhancing UK prosperity through R&D investment
January 2020
Ahead of an expected Comprehensive Spending Review in 2020, we call on the UK government to plan for and deliver increased public sector investment in R&D, to safeguard the UK's diverse R&D funding landscape and to work across departments to deliver the skilled workforce the UK's R&D sector needs. Read our position statement and accompanying briefing below.
Royal Society of Chemistry position: Increasing R&D investment for UK prosperity
Royal Society of Chemistry briefing: Enhancing UK prosperity by increasing R&D investment
September 2019
As the Chancellor prepared to outline a one-year Spending Round ahead of the UK's exit from the EU, we called on the UK government to safeguard the UK's outstanding national research and innovation capacity. As long as no deal is still a prospect, it is vital that the government steps up and establishes a transparent, easy to access contingency fund to support the full breadth of research that is currently funded by the EU.
Royal Society of Chemistry Position for 2019 Spending Round
Opinion piece: Fast track spending review shows promise, while uncertainty continues
What Influences Private Sector Investment in R&D?
November 2019
As part of Chemistry Means Business 2019, we held a roundtable discussion with representatives from across chemical sciences industry to understand what factors influence private sector investment in research and development (R&D). This note captures the key discussion points and recommendations. Representatives from SMEs and large companies shared their views on how public investment in R&D, attitudes to risk, tax and immigration all affect the choices that businesses make to invest in R&D in the UK.
Balance and effectiveness of research and innovation spending
September 2018
We responded to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee’s inquiry into The balance and effectiveness of research and innovation spending. We welcomed the Government’s commitment to increase the UK’s investment in research and development to 2.4% of GDP and highlighted the importance of support for fundamental research alongside challenge-based and applied research. We also emphasised the importance of support for core disciplines, and the role of quality-related (QR) funding in ensuring the long term health of the UK research system.
Science Budget and Industrial Strategy
October 2017
The House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee conducted an inquiry into the Science Budget and Industrial Strategy. Our response called for support for the full spectrum of research, including core disciplines and curiosity-driven research, alongside interdisciplinary and challenge-driven research. We also highlighted the role of the Research Councils in delivering the vision of UK Research & Innovation and the need for wider consultation on future Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) funding calls to ensure stakeholder confidence.
Life Sciences and the Industrial Strategy
September 2017
We responded to the House of Lords Science & Technology Select Committee inquiry into Life Sciences and the Industrial Strategy. Our response focussed on the role of chemistry in life sciences, barriers to and enablers of innovation and the role of the EU in UK life sciences. We drew upon examples from our Open For Business report and from our own activities to support innovation, such as the Emerging Technologies competition.
Building our Industrial Strategy
April 2017
In January 2017, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy published a green paper for a new industrial strategy and asked for comment. Our response discussed increased investment in research and development, the role of regulation, showcasing success and impact from existing intiatives, vocational education and the UK's needs following exit from the European Union.