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Our Expertise

The UK Government has substantially increased public funding for research and development over the past decade. It aims to raise the level of research and development (R&D) expenditure from 1.9 per cent to 2.5 per cent of GDP by around 2014.

The UK has one of the most creative and productive scientific and research communities in the world. With just one per cent of the world's population, it receives over 12 per cent of all citations to published papers - the times that papers published by UK scientists are mentioned by other researchers in their own papers - and publishes almost 13 per cent of papers with the highest impact.

Since 1998 the number of spin-out companies set up by universities when their research generates a commercially-viable product, licensing income and patent applications has increased 4-fold. The quality of the UK's skills base is cited by most R&D intensive companies as the major factor behind investing in the UK.

The Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) is the lead UK Government department responsible for the development, funding and management of science and research across theUK.

The Government Office for Science, headed by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA) - Professor John Beddington CMG FRS - is part of DIUS. It is responsible to the Prime Minister and Cabinet for advice on science and innovation policy issues.

A cross-governmental body - the Global Science and Innovation Forum (GSIF) - fosters a UK coordinated effort in international science and innovation collaboration.

It provides strategic guidance and systematically scans the horizon for new and emerging issues. In October 2006 GSIF published its Strategy for International Engagement in R&D and, more recently, UK Science & Innovation at the Heart of the Global Knowledge Economy.

GSIF members are:

Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO)
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)
British Council - UK science
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI)
Research Councils UK
The Royal Society
Department for International Development (DfID)
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
Department of Health (DH)

The role of the FCO

The FCO established its own Science and Innovation Network (SIN) in 2000 in response to the growing importance of science, technology and innovation. Dedicated staff in 39 UK embassies and consulates abroad work closely with other colleagues including the British Council and UK Trade and Investment.

SIN has 4 objectives:

• scientific collaboration
• innovation
• influence
• policy-making.

Other bodies

The House of Commons Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee

The Science Council which advances science and its applications for the public benefit

The Council for Science and Technology the UK government's top-level independent advisory body on science and technology policy issues.