CaSE has just published a policy report examining the Impacts of Investment in the Science and Engineering Research Base.

According to the press release, the main conclusion of the report is that policy initiatives to increase the impact of science and engineering research need to be informed by evidence, clearly articulated and fully debated prior to implementation.

Key points:

• The research base produces economic growth but its broader roles must be valued and sustained.
• Efforts to increase impact at the research base level should focus on supporting and rewarding impact activities rather than predicting future impact.
• Enhancing economic growth from the research base should occur by improving the “pull” through of research from users and using various policy levers.
• The Chancellor should appoint a Chief Scientific Adviser to enable a more coherent and evidence-based approach to developing science policy in this area.