Science Capital Spend inquiry

In April 2016, the Academy submitted evidence to the Public Accounts Committee to inform its inquiry into science capital spend. The consultation follows a National Audit Office report in March 2016, which found that capital spending by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills on science projects did not have a sufficiently robust framework for overall investment strategy and informed decision-making.

Our submission welcomed the Department’s commitment to £1.1 billion annual investment in science capital up to 2021, but emphasised that while the Government has a role in setting overarching research themes, individual research priorities and funding decisions should continue to be led by scientific expertise within the research community, in accordance with the Haldane principle. Our input further underscored the need for coordination of capital investment with adequate funding for research resources and staffing to ensure maximum impact on UK research and the greatest economic, social and healthcare benefits for the broader public.

We continue to engage on this topic, and related activities can be found under our policy pages.