CaSE has been carrying out extensive research into public attitudes to R&D since 2022, combining large, nationally representative polls with qualitative research to explore how the public think and feel about R&D. This research, funded by Wellcome, has covered awareness of R&D, attitudes to investment and the perceived benefits of R&D at a range of scales, along with views on place, trust and engagement.
In addition to publishing the results of these research studies, CaSE has produced a range of outputs to support the sector interpret the results and turn those insights into action.
CaSE will soon launch its major new study, CaSE Public Attitudes to R&D 2025, which is the first step in creating a large and robust data series that tracks attitudes to R&D as a political issue over time. We hope these examples bring inspiration and allows the sector to make the most use of the new study.
Science Media Centre
“Over the years much has been claimed about what scientists need to tell the public about research. Despite this coming from the research community, it was surprisingly free of any evidence. What I love most about the CaSE public attitudes work is that it completely flips this round over and asks the public what they want to hear about research. And finally, we have some solid evidence to test our gut feelings against. I recommend it everywhere I go to scientific leaders developing comms plans. What’s also reassuring is that many have already heard of it and are using some of the more counterintuitive findings to change the way they engage. I’m forever telling people that the whole UK as a science superpower isn’t working according to CaSE data.”
Fiona Fox
Chief Executive, Science Media Centre (SMC)
Liverpool John Moores University
“I’ve used CaSE’s public opinion research extensively in my public engagement training at the Liverpool John Moores University. The February 2023 report provides clear insight into how the public thinks and feels about research. I reference it in all of my Introduction to PE sessions with researchers and leadership at the university. We consider this report as a mandate from the public to embed engagement into our research work. We also draw on the People’s Principles for Involvement in our Public Engagement and Patient and Public involvement Masterclass, which resonates strongly with researchers at all levels. The clarity and accessibility of the outputs make them a go-to resource in our training and planning.
“We use CaSE’s public engagement research in all of our engagement training – it’s a trusted, evidence-based resource which I am proud to reference in my training and advocacy work at LJMU.”
Gemma Reed
Public Engagement Officer, Liverpool John Moores University
Physiological Society
“CaSE’s public opinion work has been really helpful in how we think and talk about physiology, particularly in making it more accessible and relevant to people’s lives. This sort of work helps us communicate more clearly about what physiology is, why it matters, and how it connects to issues people care about, like health, climate change, and ageing.
“The insight that most people trust scientists but don’t always understand what “R&D” means has been especially useful in us considering how to strip out jargon and focus on the real-world value of the science. Physiology can sometimes be overlooked as a discipline, so tools like this have helped us frame it as something central to major challenges, from climate change to workforce health. It’s helped us make a stronger case for the importance of physiological science.”
Andrew Mackenzie
Associate Director of Strategy and External Relations, Physiological Society
Midlands Innovation
“CaSE provides a strong voice in advocating for the research and development sector, and their public opinion work provides a wealth of resources to help influence the trajectory of research and in maximising its outputs. In challenging times, it’s vital we demonstrate the importance of research in positively influencing everyone’s lives.”
Helen Turner
Director of Midlands Innovation
CaSE’s Public Opinion work has been an invaluable resource for Midlands Innovation in a number of ways. CaSE kindly spoke with our team to share their learnings from their work and how the team can tap into the fantastic well of resources they have created. These are free for the science and research and development sector to use in communications to be able to better engage with Government, MPs and the public to maximise the impact and reach of research and how it shapes everyone’s lives. Through the work that CaSE has done, they are also proactive at advocating for the sector and responding with facts and figures to provide a strong voice for the sector.
Midlands Innovation Team members and our partners have had opportunities to participate in roundtables which bring together representatives from organisations across our sector and beyond. This has helped us to make new connections and spread the word about the invaluable research undertaken by our partners across the Midlands, while also providing us with the opportunity to help shape and influence CaSE’s future work.
We had the opportunity to showcase Trent Basin’s Community Energy battery, which CaSE utilised as a case study of how to engage the public in research, and how they are directly benefitting from it.
Queen Mary University of London
“There simply isn’t anything else like the CaSE public opinion toolkit which will walk communications teams through evidence-backed, audience-tested research-driven content creation. If you are a science, technology or research communications professional, you need the unique, innovative audience testing and messaging insights contained in these resources.”
Rosie Anderson
Impact Engagement Manager, Queen Mary University of London
CaSE’s public opinion insights and toolkits have been a fantastic resource for the team as we have relaunched our webpages and planned our external RDI campaigns.
We have used it internally to advocate for both including more RDI stories in our general campaigns and how to present those messages in ways that really connect. We have been redeveloping our RDI webpages, and that toolkit also informed our own approach to messages and proof points and prompted us to think about research participants’ user journeys more carefully.
We have incorporated these resources into the library of comms guidance for our staff. We are also exploring our own, local version of CaSE’s public opinion work which will start a conversation with our communities here in the East End of London about the value of Life Sciences to them and how Queen Mary research can help build a brighter future for everyone in our area.
British Heart Foundation
Campaign for Science and Engineering’s public opinion research has played an important role in informing the development of our policy messaging across a range of key issues – from the financial burden of visa fees to the broader economic and societal value of research and development in the UK. This evidence-based insight enables us to advocate with confidence, knowing that our positions are grounded in the views and priorities of the UK public. It is for this reason CaSE’s analysis of visa fee’s increases, and public attitudes to attracting international talent, was built in to our 2024 Hearts Need More report, outlining key policies for a new Government, including those to support a thriving research ecosystem.
UK Research and Innovation
“CaSE’s ability to tap in meticulously to genuine and considered audience opinion is a rich source of intelligence for public-facing organisations such as UKRI.
“They are a joy to work with, accessible and collegiate while providing an authoritative and independent viewpoint so important for the credibility of our plans to listen and communicate effectively.”
James Uings
Head of Content, UKRI
UKRI published a new External Affairs and Communications Plan earlier in 2025, titled ‘Improving Lives and Livelihoods’. This marked an important evolution in the way we relate, explain and celebrate our work. We wanted to capture the real-world impact of UKRI’s work on people, businesses and communities rather than describing the way it’s funded or even the complex nature of the science and innovation involved. In short, ‘Why should audiences care’ rather than ‘Here’s how we work.’
CaSE’s excellent and extensive recent public opinion surveying provided invaluable insight for this pivot, revealing clearly how many people struggle to see how RD&I benefits them personally, risking investment being seen as a luxury especially during times of financial hardship. This endorsed our need to clearly articulate why R&I should matter to the people who, effectively, are paying for it.
CaSE’s insight also identified themes which carried public support for R&I intervention such as climate change, quality of healthcare and even the broad topic of providing well-paid jobs for today’s and tomorrow’s workforce. These CaSE insights have given us the evidence and confidence to plan new approaches to external affairs and communications which will resonate with audiences and demonstrate the connection between research and its many impacts.
Get in touch
If your organisation has been making use of CaSE’s public opinion insights or if you have suggestions of ways we could make these outputs serve you better we would love to hear from you.
