As Britain’s new Prime Minister Liz Truss begins appointing her first cabinet, scientific organizations insist research and innovation should be at the heart of government policy. However, questions remain about the new government’s plans for science, and a science minister has not yet been appointed.

The UK research community has found itself in an enviable position over the past 20 months. The country has been barred from Horizon Europe, the world’s largest multinational research fund, due to a political dispute between the UK government and the European Commission. The situation has resulted in many researchers losing their grants and others seeking a transfer to her EU-based institution leading to fears of a brain drain.

Former UK Science Minister George Freeman has repeatedly insisted on full linkage to Horizon Europe, but it now seems unlikely that this will materialize, and plans for an alternative funding mechanism are vague. It remains costless. Meanwhile, there has been no full-time science minister since Freeman stepped down in July.

global role

Beth Thompson, Associate Director for Policy at the Wellcome Trust, has urged the new prime minister to avoid complacency that could harm the country’s research sector. Scientists and research institutions based in the UK need to collaborate with scientists from all over the world and the UK needs to be an attractive and exciting place,” Thompson said. “Horizon Europe is a prime example. The new government should ensure the closest possible engagement to safeguard research collaboration.”

“Securing the UK’s global role in science does not happen by accident. This work should be overseen by a Science Minister who agrees on priorities and can work across government to implement plans. “The prime minister must make bold efforts to turn ‘science superpower’ from a catchphrase into a reality and put science and innovation at the center of its agenda,” she added. . ”

Other organizations, such as the Institute of Physics (IOP) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), have also called on Truss to prioritize the appointment of the Minister of Science. “If the new government wants to maintain the UK’s position as a world leader in research, development and innovation, it will require not only a dramatic increase in public research and development spending, but also a dedicated job to unlock research in partnership with the scientific community. We also need a Minister for Science: the transformative potential of our world-class science and innovation platform,” commented IOP Chief Executive Officer Tom Grinyer.

“As the ministerial appointments continue, we can see that British science is playing a key role in tackling the big problems affecting our lives, from the pandemic to the energy crisis to the climate emergency. It’s important to remember,” said RSC’s director of policy and evidence. , Tanya Sheridan. “Science and innovation will be key drivers of our long-term plans for the UK’s recovery and future growth.”

“When the new Science Minister is appointed, he will ensure that the government develops and implements a long-term investment plan for research, development and innovation, places the UK among the best in the G7 and encourages private enterprise. We look forward to working together to make this an investment in the sector,” she adds. “We also need to protect investments in international research collaborations and provide a comfortable environment.”

energy crisis

With the UK in the midst of an energy crisis and struggling to meet its net-zero commitments, closer scrutiny will come to Truss’ impending new plans to tackle surging energy costs. Questions have been raised about the Truss’ decision to appoint Jacob Rees-Mogg as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Earlier this year, he told radio station LBC that Britain should “extract every last cubic inch of gas from the North Sea”. This is because the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that nearly 60% of the world’s current fossil fuel reserves must stay grounded to avoid a global environmental disaster.

High gas prices are at the center of the energy crisis, with gas-fired power plants now costing nine times more to produce than offshore wind.Many experts, including Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, believe the situation Unsustainability of current fossil fuel dominated energy systemHowever, Rees-Mogg is expected to drive increased gas production, including plans to resume shale gas fracking.

“Nothing in [Rees-Mogg’s] The overall track record shows an understanding of this issue,” said Tom Burke, founder of the environmental think tank E3G. Guardian“The most important thing in energy policy is to keep demand down.

The chairmen of the government’s independent Climate Change Commission and National Infrastructure Commission have already written to Truss, warning that the UK “cannot meet this crisis by increasing natural gas production alone”.Lord Deben and John Armitt also called for “credible policies for energy efficiency in buildings” and swift action to increase clean energy production, such as onshore wind and solar projects.