Submission to HM Treasury ahead of the 2015 spending review – Investing in the UK’s intellectual capital

04 September 2015

In its spending review document A country that lives within its means, the Treasury invited written representations in order to inform the spending review.

The Society has written to the Treasury to highlight how research benefits the UK, advancing our economy, developing our society and improving our health. The submission provides evidence of the UK’s strength in scientific excellence and makes the case for this to be nurtured and developed.

It calls on the government to increase its investment in R&D to at least match the OECD average of 0.67% of GDP by 2020, highlighting five areas for this investment to maintain the UK’s scientific and economic leadership: rebuilding UK research, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, increasing agility, capacity building in strategically important emerging fields and regional development.