Looking back over CaSE’s achievements from the last year

CaSE has published its Annual Review for 2018-19, giving a summary of its activities and campaign achievements over the last year.

The last 12 months has been an eventful period for CaSE.

We’ve made great strides this year in representing the science and engineering perspective on issues at the top of the national agenda. As politics remains turbulent, CaSE has embedded its UK-wide presence, working with all parties across the UK’s parliaments and assemblies to emphasise the importance of support for research and innovation. Particular highlights from the year include:

Effectively championing science and engineering 

CaSE published a five point plan to outline the actions the new Government could take to boost science and engineering. Published in August, two key actions in our plan have already been acted upon as the Government have pledged to release a long-term plan to increase research intensity and reintroduced a two-year post-study work visa for international students. CaSE also contributed to a joint statement from across the science and engineering sector calling on Conservative leadership candidates to pledge to support research and innovation which gathered extensive national press coverage.

Investment 

We published our landmark report, Building on Scientific Strength: the Next Decade of R&D Investment, setting out how the Government can stimulate a rise in the UK’s research intensity and drawing input from across our membership. The report has also led to undertaking work across the UK on the R&D ‘place’ agenda, taking us up and down the UK this year. We have strengthened our relationships with key government departments and expanded our political networks, being seen as a thought leader in the UK’s endeavor to increase R&D intensity.

Immigration 

CaSE’s advocacy work to fight for an immigration system that meets the needs of science and engineering again led to policy changes this year. Earlier in the year, the Government announced the removal of PhD-level roles from the Tier 2 visa cap and changes to indefinite leave to remain rules that no longer meant researchers would be unfairly punished for undertaking overseas fieldwork. We are engaging with the Home Office as the new Government seeks to improve the Global Talent visa for the research community.

CaSE is thriving and looking forward to the year ahead, always seeking to ensure the UK has the skills, funding and policies to enable science and engineering to thrive.