Skip to content

Times letter: Science budget cuts

21 Oct 2024

CaSE and the Science Media Centre coordinated a letter to The Times from eminent figures in UK research and development expressing concerns about potential cuts to the R&D budget.

CaSE Individual Membership

Join a community of people who support CaSE’s aims for a more science and engineering positive UK

Join CaSE

Science budget cuts

Sir, The research and development sector is extremely concerned about the prospect of cuts to the science budget. Deep cuts across R&D investment would have significant negative consequences for the UK’s world-leading R&D sector, putting the brakes on growth and undermining confidence.

Next week’s budget is a critical moment. We recognise that there are difficult decisions to be made with the public finances, but it is vital that R&D’s long-term ability to grow the economy isn’t undermined by the false economy of short-term cuts. Cuts now would lead to the loss of jobs, expertise and momentum right when the sector is needed to make a vital contribution to boosting economic growth and productivity.

We are urging the government to use the budget and spending review to commit itself to continued investment in R&D and signal that the UK is serious about its role in contributing to sustained growth.

Dr Sir Tim Hunt, emeritus group leader, the Francis Crick Institute

Dr Roger Highfield, science director, Science Museum Group

Professor Brian Cox, professor of particle physics, University of Manchester

Dr Alicia Greated, executive director, Campaign for Science and Engineering

Professor Irene Tracey, vice-chancellor, University of Oxford

Dame Kate Bingham, managing partner, SV Health Investors, former head of Vaccine Task Force

Lord Drayson, co-founder and trustee, Drayson Foundation, former Labour science minister

Sir Harpal Kumar, president, International Business & BioPharma Grail Inc

Dr Andrew Garrett, president, Royal Statistical Society

Dr Magdalena Skipper, editor in chief, Nature

Professor Sarah Harper, director of the Oxford Institute of Ageing, University of Oxford

Professor Bart De Strooper, professor of Alzheimer’s Disease, University College London

Professor Matthew Freeman, Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford

Professor Sir John Hardy, professor of Neuroscience, University College London

Professor Sir Malcolm Grant, former chair, NHS England

Professor Sir Ian Boyd, president, Royal Society of Biology

Dr John-Arne Rottingen, chief executive officer, Wellcome

Professor Dame Linda Partridge, Weldon Professor of Biometry, University College London

Mr Tom Grinyer, group chief executive, Institute of Physics

Dr John Womersley, University of Edinburgh

Professor Chris Day, vice-chancellor, Newcastle University

Nicola Perrin, chief executive, Association of Medical Research Charities

Dr Mark Downs, chief executive, Royal Society of Biology

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, former president and vice-chancellor, University of Manchester

Professor Jackie Hunter, chief-executive, OI Pharma Partners

Professor John Sinclair, treasurer, Microbiology Society

Mr David Sweeney, professor of research policy, University of Birmingham

Sir Richard Sykes, president, R&D Society, former head of Imperial College London and GSK

Professor David Webb, professor of therapeutics and clinical pharmacology, University of Edinburgh

Professor Andy Schofield, vice-chancellor, Lancaster University

Professor Sir John P Iredale, chair, The Lister Institute for Preventative Medicine

Dr Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group

Professor Sir Menelas N Pangalos, formerly executive vice-president R&D, AstraZeneca

Sharon Todd, chief executive, Society of Chemical Industry

Professor Evelyn Welch, vice-chancellor and president, University of Bristol

Dr Joe Marshall, chief executive officer, National Centre for Universities and Business

Professor Sir Robert Lechler, past president of the Academy of Medical Sciences

Professor Lord Martin Rees, member of the House of Lords and former president of Royal Society

Dr Robin Lovell-Badge, the Francis Crick Institute

Professor Dame Anne Glover, University of Strathclyde

Professor Sir Simon Wessely, Kings College London

Dr John Siddorn, chief executive, National Oceanography Centre

Professor Tara Spires-Jones, director, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh