Ever since his appearance at the Science and Technology Committee I have been unable to get a quote from Paul Nurse, author of the independent report on the research ecosystem, out of my head.
On research he said “it is not just about science it is about the country as a whole.”
If research policy tells us something about our priorities as a country then the inverse must also be true. The priorities of the country must tell us something about research policy.
There are lots of ways in which research policy dovetails with government policy. Research helps bring in foreign investment. Investment in facilities and technologies supports a highly skilled workforce. Investment in labs attracts new businesses and investors. Every government supports economic growth and there is no economic growth without a growing research ecosystem.
