Launching Public Attitudes to R&D 2025

To mark the publication of our landmark study Public Attitudes to R&D 2025, we invited CaSE members and stakeholders from across the breadth of the R&D community to join us for a reception in the Lumley Library of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

The study involved a nationally representative survey of 8,000 UK adults and eight in-person focus groups alongside follow-up interviews with 20 individuals. It found that, while most people think R&D is important, many struggle to see and feels its benefits in their own lives.

Attendees at the event had the opportunity explore the results of the research via interactive screens, and watch videos of focus group participants talking about R&D in their own words.

We were delighted to be joined by Julia Gillard, Chair of Wellcome and former Prime Minister of Australia, who gave a keynote speech reflecting on the study’s findings and the implications for the R&D sector.

Julia emphasised that society needs new knowledge and innovation to tackle global problems, and that this relies on a stable and supportive environment for R&D that can support long-term decision making. She reflected that, as a former Prime Minister, she saw just how vital public support is – and how fast the political momentum on an issue can change without – both in the UK and internationally.

Research like CaSE’s into public attitudes provides a baseline to hold both policymakers and the sector accountable, she said, noting how striking the gap was between the 88% of the British public who support government investment in R&D, and the 29% who feel a connection or personal interest in R&D.

This, she said, demonstrated the need for action to strengthen our relationship with the public, by telling local and personal stories.

CaSE is grateful for the support of both Julia and Wellcome, as the funder of CaSE’s public opinion work since 2021. Julia has seen firsthand the competing pressures that shape every political decision, and CaSE agrees wholeheartedly with her words urging the R&D sector to make R&D more human and more local.

You can see photos of the event below: