Submission to the 2015 Spending Review

In September 2015, the Academy submitted evidence to Treasury to inform the Spending Review, the outcome of which is due to be announced on 25 November. This review spans all governmental activities, including those which affect the research environment in the UK.

Our submission drew on the expertise of our Fellowship and sets out the need for long-term public investment in research; the importance of departmental research budgets in fostering an innovation culture across public services; and the role of public funding as part of a balanced ecosystem of private and charitable funders.

We drew on ‘Building a Stronger Future’, a joint statement from the National Academies which launched earlier in 2015 and sets out a vision to the Government to make the UK the best place to carry out research and development. It also forms part of further activities aimed at communicating the value of the research sector to the UK, and the need for public funding to keep the UK as a world-leader,

In conjunction with our submission, the Academy has joined 198 other organisations from across the medical research sector in an open letter to the Government highlighting the importance of public funding in securing health and wealth benefits for the UK. The letter, with a full list of signatures, is available from this page.

The Academy will continue to engage across government as the Review process continues, with an announcement expected from the Chancellor on 25 November.