The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE), the UK’s leading independent scientific advocacy group, welcomes Dr Sarah Main as its new Director. Read More
Press Releases
If you are a journalist and would like to keep up to date with our press releases, please email info@sciencecampaign.org.uk to be added to the press release mailing list.
CaSE Appoints New Director
CaSE responds to the 2013 Budget
“Campaigners welcome government support for research, but insist more must be done”
The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) welcomes the announcement in today’s Budget of the expansion of the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) – something we called for in our 4Growth campaign – and an expansion of the R&D tax credit scheme.
However, a new analysis published yesterday by CaSE shows that the shortfall in research capital, which stood at nearly £1.7bn following the 2010 Spending Review had now been reduced to just over £300m. Today’s Budget leaves this shortfall unchanged.
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Research investment welcome, but we need to aim higher
“Additional commitments reduce shortfall in research capital, but we need to aim higher”
New analysis by CaSE shows that the £1.7bn shortfall in research capital the Research Base Budget faced following the 2010 Spending Review (SR10) has been reduced to just over £330m following a string of additional commitments.
CaSE’s paper (Public Funding of UK Science and Engineering – March 2013 update) shows that additional commitments to research capital now total over £1350m.
New trustees, departing director
Imran Khan has led CaSE since 2010 and will be departing in March
As 2013 gets underway and we wish all of our readers, members, and colleagues a happy New Year, we’re also announcing some major personnel changes here at CaSE – the departure of our director, and the appointment of six new trustees.
Departing director
The first is that Imran Khan, our director since 2010, will be leaving the organisation in March. He is set to take over as Chief Executive of the British Science Association in April, succeeding Sir Roland Jackson who is stepping down after ten years in charge.
CaSE welcomes Osborne science commitment
CaSE has today welcomed the Chancellor George Osborne’s speech at the Royal Society, in which he highlighted the critical role of science in ensuring economic growth and social wellbeing.
In particular, the announcement of an additional £60 million over five years for the UK’s commitment through the European Space Agency will ensure the UK remains a leader in space science. Read More
Party Conferences: New investment welcomed
CaSE welcomes today’s announcement from George Osborne of an additional £200m for the Research Partnership Investment Fund – bringing the fund’s total to £300m. Read More
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Tagged Coalition Government, Conservatives, Research and Funding
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GCSE Science: slower gains, but still great news
The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) welcomed another good year for science GCSEs, with physics, chemistry, and biology each enjoying a 12.3% rise in entries compared to last year. Although less emphatic than last year’s rises of nearly 16%, the trend is vitally important. There’s also good news for gender balance, with more of the increase coming from girls taking science than boys. Both of these changes now need to continue to filter through to pupils taking A-levels. Read More
CaSE responds to A-level results
The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) welcomes another year of good news for science and maths A-levels. All of the main science and maths subjects are now in the top 10, with increases in both actual student numbers and in the ‘market share’ of overall A-level entries held by these subjects.
Science lesson reforms leave campaigners bemused
“Teaching pupils to think and work scientifically should be at the heart of science education”
The Campaign for Science and Engineering has reacted with bemusement at new Government plans to shift focus away from the scientific method in science lessons.
2012 Budget: CaSE response
“Extra capital welcome – but Government must be more ambitious to rebalance the economy”
Press release
The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) has welcomed the Chancellor’s announcement of £100m new investment into science and engineering research in UK universities, along with other measures to improve commercialisation of such research, but warned that the Government must be more ambitious to achieve its goal of rebalancing the economy.
CaSE Director Imran Khan said:
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Campaigners welcome settlement exemption for scientists
The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE), the UK’s leading independent advocacy group for the sector, welcomed today’s announced exemption of most scientists and engineers from the Government’s new restrictions on settlement rights for migrants. The group had expressed concerns that limiting the length of stay to a maximum of five years could deter some of the world’s brightest talent from considering the UK as a destination. Read More
CaSE welcomes immigration report and changes
Settlement
Today the Government has announced new provisions around settlement, making it harder for immigrants to stay in the country after having been here for five years. Immigrants now have to meet a salary threshold, or be forced to leave the country. When this was first suggested CaSE raised concerns with the Home Office, including via a well-publicised letter to The Times, that this would deter some of the world’s brightest talent from considering the UK as a destination.
Building the UK’s high tech future
David Willetts delivers his speech at Policy Exchange
We may be barely into 2012 but it seems that BIS were busy over the Christmas break. At Policy Exchange this morning, David Willetts delivered a speech on ‘Our hi-tech future’ which also included the launch of new Research Council impact reports. Coverage of the speech in the morning’s media on the BBC website and a interview on BBC Radio 4 had focused on an idea for ‘privately funded science universities’. However, while Higher Education Institutions are central to the plan, the speech went much further that this, with the intention to ‘set the Government’s goal that we should be the best place in the world to do science’.
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Tagged Education, Research and Funding, Science in Government, Skills
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Life Sciences in the spotlight
“We can be proud of our past – but we cannot be complacent about our future”
David Cameron, Life Sciences Strategy Launch
Following the focus on the Life Sciences in the Growth Plan, the publication of today’s Life Sciences strategy and the Prime Minister’s speech provide more details on how the Government plans to build on this important area. You can read CaSE Director Imran Khan’s comments here.
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Tagged Coalition Government, Industry, Research and Funding
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Welcoming the Chancellor’s £200m science boost
CaSE warmly welcomes the £200m of extra investment in science and engineering announced in today’s Autumn Statement by George Osborne, which comes on top of £295m in investment announced since October 2010. Read More
CaSE exposes impact of science cuts at Isis
CaSE has revealed how a £3.4m shortfall in funding is putting the Isis neutron source, a £400m world-leading facility, out of action for 60 days a year. The situation is akin to Manchester United building a £400m stadium which they then can’t play in because they can’t afford to turn the lights on.
The loss in scientific capacity at Isis is one of the earliest consequences of the cuts to the science budget, which will become more prevalent over the coming years. Read More
Top scientists call for rethink on immigration controls
Senior figures from the world of science and engineering have today called for an urgent rethink on the Government’s proposals to drastically limit potential settlement rights for immigrants, warning that the changes could damage the UK’s science and engineering base.
The individuals, who include two former Presidents of the Royal Society and the current Director of the Wellcome Trust, have argued that special consideration needs to be given to the long-term nature of science and engineering research.
CaSE welcomes Google as 100th Member
Google was first incorporated in 1998
The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE), the UK’s foremost independent advocate for the STEM sectors, today welcomed Google as its 100th organisational member.
CaSE’s standing has been heightened in recent years as a result of high-profile campaigns to protect public funding of research and development, extract political commitments from major parties ahead of national elections, and oppose increasing visa restrictions for immigrant scientists and engineers.
Huge inconsistencies in science advice in Government
The scientific advice network across Whitehall suffers from wildly inconsistent support mechanisms, according to new research conducted by the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE). While some departmental Chief Scientific Advisors (CSAs) have excellent links with their host department, many post-holders may not have sufficient independence, oversight, or access to ministers to properly fulfil their brief, according to the independent advocacy group.
Also posted in Blog, Highlights, Reports, Briefings and Consultations
Tagged Science in Government
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Science and technology investment welcomed
The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) today welcomed Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement that £195m of new investment will be spent on science and engineering, after he said that he wants Britain to be “home to the greatest scientists and engineers” – but warned that more has to be done to keep Britain’s pre-eminent place at the top table of global research.
