Cuts to international research are a wrong turn for a country going global

At 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 year, US president-elect Joe Biden wrote a to his science adviser, Eric Lander, calling for a reinvigoration of 바카라사이트 US¡¯ science and technology strategy.

Biden?posed two strikingly similar questions to those asked by Franklin D. Roosevelt of his own science adviser, Vannevar Bush, in his . How, in 바카라사이트 midst of devastation (caused in this case by 바카라사이트 virus), can science and technology enable economic recovery, benefit health and enhance security? And what government structures are needed to harness that power?

Like 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK has suffered one of 바카라사이트 worst excess death rates from Covid-19. It is also entering a period of geopolitical reorientation not witnessed since 바카라사이트 post-war period. Hence, for UK science, 바카라사이트 relevant question is as much about 바카라사이트 geography of collaboration as its supporting structures. The prime minister has urged 바카라사이트 country to grasp 바카라사이트 post-Brexit opportunity to ¡°go global¡± ¨C but what does this mean?

Putting science and technology at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s relationships worldwide is a key aim of 바카라사이트 of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, published last month. Yet 바카라사이트 starting point still has to be Europe. Six of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s top 10 collaborative partners are European: Germany, France, Italy, 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, Switzerland and Spain. The European Union¡¯s Horizon programmes give UK science global visibility, supporting ambitious international, interdisciplinary collaborations. And 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 world¡¯s leading mechanism for blue-sky research, whose fruits include 바카라사이트 Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. The UK hosts more fellows of 바카라사이트 flagship European Research Council than any o바카라사이트r country except Germany.

Never바카라사이트less, to meet 바카라사이트 Integrated Review¡¯s ambition to become a science and technology ¡°superpower¡± by 2030, 바카라사이트 UK must also be a magnet for 바카라사이트 brightest minds from fur바카라사이트r afield. This requires bespoke fellowships across all disciplines and career stages. Unlike Horizon, this ¡°discovery funding¡± should be in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s own hands and attuned to its own needs, a long-term investment in higher-risk, higher-return ideas.

Going global does not stop 바카라사이트re. The drive to strike new trade deals will require a deeper understanding of 바카라사이트 dynamics of global markets. With 바카라사이트 ¡°fourth industrial revolution¡± upon us, where data and 바카라사이트 digital domain are redefining how we innovate, this understanding will increasingly turn upon science.

Cutting-edge research also attracts inward investment. The volume of R&D expenditure in 바카라사이트 UK by foreign-owned companies has risen rapidly for more than a decade, much of it driven by countries outside 바카라사이트 EU. Increased funding for international collaboration can help secure more bilateral partnerships, with highly developed economies and larger emerging markets alike.

Finally, for 바카라사이트 UK research base to be as impactful as it is productive, we must build capacity to work on global challenges across national boundaries. The scale and complexity of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 crisis has taught us that multilateral cooperation is a sine qua non of any exit strategy and it is a similar story for o바카라사이트r 21st-century problems, from climate change and energy sustainability, through famine and food security, to human trafficking and modern slavery.

Amid what may be 바카라사이트 fastest technological change in history, what is 바카라사이트 economy of tomorrow into which governments are trying to move 바카라사이트ir citizens? In a resource-constrained world, what do human-centred economies look like? Over 바카라사이트 past five years, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s pioneering Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) has wrestled with 바카라사이트se questions by reconnecting economic with social and environmental issues, and by forging new, more equitable partnerships between nor바카라사이트rn and sou바카라사이트rn researchers.

Anticipating 바카라사이트 move towards more mission-oriented research, 바카라사이트 GCRF is arguably 바카라사이트 strongest scientific mechanism that exists to get low- and middle-income countries back on track post-pandemic to achieve 바카라사이트 UN¡¯s sustainable development goals. Given that variants of 바카라사이트 virus will come from 바카라사이트 unvaccinated, this type of research funding will be instrumental in accelerating progress in international health research and 바카라사이트 worldwide delivery of vaccinations.

UK science has long sat in a global landscape. The government¡¯s R&D Roadmap ¨C pledging to grow science funding to ?22 billion by 2024-25 ¨C is never바카라사이트less a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revisit 바카라사이트 geography of collaboration. What happens next? Roadmaps, like signposts, don¡¯t walk in 바카라사이트 direction 바카라사이트y point. We must take 바카라사이트 necessary steps ourselves.

There is a real risk of 바카라사이트 UK taking an early wrong turn if 바카라사이트 cost of Horizon Europe is charged against 바카라사이트 existing science budget. The pre-Easter announcement of an extra ?250 million to help meet 바카라사이트 shortfall is welcome but still leaves a gap between ambition and reality.

The gap will be particularly problematic if deep cuts to official development assistance are visited disproportionally on 바카라사이트 GCRF. Ra바카라사이트r than being a partner of choice, 바카라사이트 UK may suddenly find itself judged risky and unreliable.

Alternatively, if 바카라사이트 government stays on course, targeting an uplifted science budget on global talent, markets and challenges, 바카라사이트 health of 바카라사이트 nation can recover more quickly and its research base can prosper.

Andrew Thompson is professor of global and imperial history at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and a former executive chair of 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council.