United Kingdom

News

4 July 2008:  Rubber 'snake' could help wave power get a bite of the energy market.  A device consisting of a giant rubber tube may hold the key to producing affordable electricity from the energy in sea waves.  Read more

1 July 2008:  Ground-breaking technology that will enable biologists to identify and monitor large numbers of endangered animals, from butterflies to whales, without being captured, will be shown to the public for the first time at this year's Royal Society Summer Science exhibition.  Read more

16 June 2007: The Researcher Exchange Programme (RXP) is a £250,000 initiative that provides individual researchers with awards covering travel and subsistence costs, and some consumables costs, needed to develop new scientific collaborations and contacts through exchange visits of between one week and three months’ duration. Read more

16 June 2008: UK insurers extend freeze on genetic testing. Read more

12 June 2008: This year Cambridge University Eco Racing (CUER) have designed and built the UK's first road legal solar car. Read more

10 June 2008: UK economy is hostage to oil, warns expert. Read more

28 May 2008: UK's organic cows are cream of the crop. Read more

27 May 2008: Research suggests parts of UK could be too hot for wine-making by 2080. Read more

Older news

European RTD Insight

European RTD Insight is a monthly publication on developments in EU research and policy.  Insight is funded by the British Council and is available without charge.

In addition to EU policy and research news, Insight includes information on education, training and culture, external collaboration, events and awards, and new publications and on-line resources.  It also contains a glossary of EU acronyms and terms.

Should you wish to receive Insight by email each month, please send an email to ukro@bbsrc.ac.uk, stating 'European RTD Insight' in the subject line. You will then be added to our mailing list.

Please address any comments or recommendations on Insight to ukro@bbsrc.ac.uk. Your input will help us in developing the publication and ensuring that it meets your information needs. read more

Researcher Exchange Programme (RXP)

The Researcher Exchange Programme (RXP) is our new initiative that aims to promote the development of scientific co-operation and contacts between the UK and other countries.

The purpose of the Researcher Exchange Programme is to help develop new research links between higher education institutions and research laboratories in the UK and other countries. It aims to encourage mobility and internationalism among early stage researchers for the exchange of information, ideas and knowledge, and for relationship-building.

For early stage researchers, spending time in another country offers many advantages; giving them a chance to acquire new cutting-edge-skills, to participate in multicultural research teams and network with others in the same field.

For more information, please e-mail science@britishcouncil.org

Key facts about UK Science &Technology

  1. The UK produces around 6% of the world's science, from around 1% of the world's population
  2. With 1% of the world's population, the UK has an 8% share of world scientific publications and a 9.1% share of world citations, This places the UK second to the USA and significantly ahead of Japan, Germany and France.
  3. The UK receives on average 168.2 citations each year for every million the Government spent on civil R&D in 1991. This makes the UK the most cost effective producer of research of the G7 countries (next is USA on 148.7, Canada on 121.4).
  4. The UK is second only to the US in winning major (over $200,000) internationally recognised prizes, well clear of third-place Germany.
  5. In 1995 UK spent some 14,328 million on S&T, 2.05% of GDP (latest figure available)
  6. Of the UK's total S&T expenditure, one third is financed by government, 48% by industry, 14.3% from abroad and 4.3% by other sources.
  7. Overseas contribution to S&T in UK is larger than G7 partners and growing; this puts the UK firmly on the international stage.
  8. UK's science is highly international - in 1994 around one quarter (26%) of papers with first authors in the UK were the product of trans-national collaborations.
  9. Inward investment benefits a wide range of industrial sectors, including automotive, chemical, engineering, electronics and pharmaceutical.

UK science connections

Additional information on Science and Technology in the UK can be obtained from the following Organisations/Internet sites:-

Department of Trade & Industry (DTI)

Government support for research in industry is led by the DTI. The Department's main role is to stimulate innovation in industry so as to enhance competitiveness in Britain and overseas.

Office of Science & Technology (OST)

OST is responsible for the government financed research councils covering engineering and physical sciences; particle physics and astronomy; bioligical sciences; medicine; the natural environment; and economics and social science. The OST encourages links between the research councils and organisations using their research, such as industry and government departments.

Research Councils

The research councils support research, study and training in universities and other higher education establishments, their own institutes, and international research centres. Funded chiefly from OST, they also receive income from research commissioned by government departments and from the private sector.

Miscellaneous


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