£1 Billion Boost for UK Science and Innovation
The framework sets out the Government's ambition for public and private spending on research and development in the UK to rise to 2.5 per cent of GDP over the next decade, and provides annual real growth in public science funding of 5.8 per cent over the 2004 Spending Review period - with science spending one billion pounds higher in 2007-08 than in 2004-05.
The Government's vision is for many more skilled scientists and engineers in the economy delivering benefits to businesses, health and the public services. Essential to the strength of science and innovation in the UK is a world class and financially robust research base with growth in public and private investment.
The framework has been developed with stakeholders in the research base and the private sector, including The Wellcome Trust which expects to commit at least £1.5 billion in the UK over the coming five years.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, said:
"The UK needs a twenty-first century science base to compete in the twenty-first century global economy. Today's framework represents a long term commitment to investing in science and innovation to create a platform for future wealth creation, productivity growth and better public services.
Only by working with our business and research charity partners will we achieve our goal of R&D in the UK reaching 2.5 per cent of GDP. That's why I am delighted to be launching the framework alongside those, such as the Wellcome Trust, with whom we will be working to ensure a more sustainable future for UK science".
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Patricia Hewitt, said:
"The transfer of knowledge from the science base to UK industry is vital to the future of innovative businesses in this country. We already have an excellent science base - today boosted by an additional £1bn commitment. The Government must now work with universities, Regional Development Agencies and businesses to boost the transfer of knowledge to industry, bolstering the UK's position as a growing hub for global knowledge-intensive businesses."
The Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Charles Clarke, said
"Well trained people are at the heart of innovation, and I am determined that our education system will deliver the flow of skills into the economy which will be needed to underpin the Government's economic ambitions. This framework sets out a comprehensive strategy for tackling skills shortages in the science, engineering and technology fields and creating a responsive supply of skills in the future, by looking at issues from schools to postgraduate education."
Director of The Wellcome Trust, Mark Walport, said:
"I am delighted by the Government's long-term commitment to strengthen the UK science base. I am particularly pleased that the important role charities play in UK research has been explicitly recognised. The creation of a new partnership agreement to support charity-funded research will ensure a more sustainable future for UK universities. We have worked across Government to identify shared priorities and partnership opportunities. We will shortly take forward a number of exciting new initiatives, including much needed research to combat malaria, the development of UK clinical research infrastructure, training and research in the public health sciences and innovative public engagement activities."
DETAILS
-- Budget 2004 set out that science spending would increase at least in line with trend growth over the Spending Review period 2005-06 to 2007-8. The ten-year framework document extends this commitment for the whole ten year period, underpinning the Government's ambition for R&D intensity in the UK (R&D as a proportion of GDP) to rise to 2.5 per cent from the current level of 1.9 per cent over the next decade. It sets out that this goal can only be achieved if the Government's commitment to invest substantially in the science base is matched by the private sector and leading charitable funding.
-- Total public spending on science will be £1 billion higher in 2007-08 than in 2004-05. This includes:
- additional science funding (compared to 2005-06) of £365 million in 2007-08 through the DTI's Office of Science and Technology, taking DTI's science budget to £3.3 billion per year. This will deliver the creation of central funding provision of £70 million to enable Research Councils to respond more quickly to emerging priorities and opportunities; additional funding of £80 million by 2007-08 (compared to 2005-06) to improve the sustainability of the UK's university research base; and additional support for knowledge transfer from universities of £110 million a year by 2007-08; - increased innovation funding channelled through the new Technology Strategy designed to ensure business pull through of technology from the science base, through collaborative research & development (R&D) between business and universities, and knowledge transfer networks across the UK. DTI will invest at least £178 million in the Technology Strategy by 2007-08.
- additional resources for DfES of nearly £250 million by 2007-08 (compared with 2005-06) to invest in university research and knowledge transfer in England. This will strengthen the financial sustainability of the research base and provide a strong platform for continued creativity and impact from world-leading centres of excellence here.
-- The ten-year framework also includes a comprehensive set of measures to enhance the teaching and learning of science, technology and engineering throughout the education system. New commitments to help achieve these ambitions include: higher salaries for Advanced Skills Teachers in science (at least £45,000 in London); at least one science-specialist Higher-Level Teaching Assistant in every secondary school in England; and increase the value of the teacher training bursary for science graduates to £7,000 and raise the 'Golden Hello' for new science teachers to £5,000 for trainees.
-- The investment framework sets out the forward science and innovation plans of a number of major Government departments with significant R&D investment strategies.
-- The following table shows the combined spending plans for DTI Office for Science and Technology and the DfES funding for university research and knowledge transfer (KT) in English universities.
Continues�..Her Majesty's Treasury
? 1 miliard de Regatul Unit Boost pentru ªtiinþã ºi Inovare - £1 Billion Boost for UK Science and Innovation - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate