Shaping CaSE’s public opinion tracker: Reflections from the R&D sector

CaSE is building on its extensive public opinion research to create a robust data series that tracks attitudes to R&D over time. Using CaSE’s Public Attitudes to R&D 2022-23 study as a starting point, we are running repeat polls and qualitative research, including focus groups, in 2025 and 2028 to allow the R&D sector monitor, explore and respond to changes and trends.

To ensure we track the most relevant attitudes and issues, CaSE has engaged across the breadth of the R&D sector. This note summarises roundtable discussions with around 40 organisations, setting out the themes and topics they see as priorities for this tracker.

Participants wanted insights that would support them to develop more tangible messages to engage with the public, wanted a deeper exploration of the motivations and reasonings underlying public attitudes, and wanted to use the research to challenge sector assumptions. Participants described using existing CaSE research in their political influencing, external engagement and development of internal strategies.

Key topics and themes that the tracker could explore included:

• Perceptions of the R&D system
• Investment in R&D
• Benefits if R&D and investment
• R&D as a tool to solve challenges
• Making R&D more local
• Engagement, involvement and trust
• Current issues

Outputs that would maximise the usefulness of the tracker included:

• Alignment with priorities
• Customisation and self-service
• Support to interpret research data
• Engaging and customisable content
• Layered approach to information
• Opportunities to learn and discuss

The full summary of discussions can be downloaded from this page.