26/05/05 Applied Industrial Research
CaSE today highlighted the importance of applied industrial research in meeting the Government's targets for science-based economic growth. In an article in the Financial Times, CaSE argues that the gap between publicly-funded blue-skies research and privately funded product development has widened as Public Sector Research Establishments have been privatised or merged with the universities, and as big corporate interests have outsourced much of their R&D. The article concludes: "Unless the British economy finds a way of bridging the gap, it will not achieve the Government's stated aim of 'making Britain the best place in the world for science'.

18/05/05 Funding Science in Universities
CaSE today highlighted the mismatch between the Government's aim of making Britain the best place in the world for science and the closure of university science departments. In an article in The Biologist, CaSE points out that the failure of public policy over the universities is putting the Prime Minister's and Chancellor's stated aims at risk. "It was great to hear the Chancellor of the Exchequer say again in a speech last night that the UK should be a 'world leader' in science," said Dr Peter Cotgreave, Director of CaSE, but we won't maintain our position if we do not sort out the mess of funding the universities, which do most of the publicly-funded civilian science in this country."

13/05/05 Improving the interface between school and university
CaSE today highlighted the difficulties facing schools and universities in handling the interface between the two. At a speech to schoolteachers in central London, the Director of CaSE pointed out that a majority of universities felt that science students arrived without the necessary mathematical skills, and half felt that students did not have the practical skills needed to undertake science courses. Based on a survey conducted by CaSE, the data show that more must be done to manage the interface. "It's no use universities just complaining, they must tailor their work to deal with today's students," said a case spokesperson.

12/05/05 Science after the election
CaSE today again highlighted the challenges for science in the coming years. An editorial in Nature, explicitly based in part on CaSE's analysis, points out that although new money has come into British science, there are major difficulties to be overcome within Government if the country is to make headway on the big challenges. "The scandal of the Blair government's record on science is to be found in the universities," says the article, echoing CaSE's view that funding university science is one of three big challenges for the coming years.

11/05/05 Science after the election
CaSE today highlighted three big issues for science over the course of the new Parliament. In a talk to the UK Deans of Science, CaSE identified :
- Engaging young people with science and engineering
- Encouraging more private sector R&D, and
- Funding science in the universities
as three major priorities for the science policy community. "If we went a substantial way towards solving these three perennial problems, we would make a big inroad into the overall challenges for British science," said Dr Peter Cotgreave, Director of CaSE.

04/05/05 GENERAL ELECTION - VOTE FOR SCIENCE
Party Leaders' reponses to CaSE's questions
CaSE today published the Party Leaders' reponses to the questions we asked about their science policies on the day the election was called. "The Liberal Democrats have answered our questions. The Labour Party has not, but has sent a couple of letters and some pages from their manifesto. Unfortunately, the Conservatives have not reponsed, which will make it difficult for people to make an informed choice when they go to vote tomorrow," said Dr Peter Cotgreave, "It's a real shame because we know they have some very interesting science policies, as all the parties do."

questions and reponses

03/05/05 GENERAL ELECTION
Political interference in science policies
CaSE today called on the industrial community to increasing politicisation of science policy. In an article in Chemistry & Industry, CaSE points out that a growing proportion of the science budget is controlled centrally, and politicians are seeking ever greater influence over the scientific questions that are asked. "If we are to destroy the old principle that science funding is distributed at "arms' length" from government, we must put something in its place to safeguard what gave the UK a world-class science base in the first place," says the article.

02/05/05 GENERAL ELECTION
Private sector research and development
CaSE today highlighted the need for greater cooperation between the public and private sectors to fill the gap between fundamental research and product development. In an article in Laboratory News, CaSE argues that many British companies lack the raw research material to feed their product development. "This sort of applied industrial research used to occur in Government sector laboratories (which have mostly been privatised or merged with universities) and the big corporate research labs (which no longer exist because companies outsource their research needs)," said Dr Peter Cotgreave, Director of CaSE, "We need to rediscover ways of providing it."