The value of R&D is a conversation we must all be part of

R&D enjoys strong public support, but many people struggle to see how it directly benefits them. Drawing on recent polling, Dr Alicia Greated argues that listening to the public and communicating R&D’s value has never been more important.

Research and development (R&D) is a fundamental part of UK society. It is a driver of the economy, how solutions to societal problems are generated and the way we seek to understand the world around us. However, it cannot perform to its full potential if it is not championed, its virtues and challenges communicated to all those with a stake in it, which is all of us.

At Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE), the charity I lead, our mission is to advocate for R&D for the benefit of lives and livelihoods. We are the leading independent voice for UK R&D, supported by a diverse membership including businesses, universities, professional bodies, research charities, and individuals. Our members span the whole breadth of R&D – including discovery research, science, engineering, and innovation across the public, private, and charitable sectors.

For the last four decades, CaSE has primarily focused on engaging with policymakers and the R&D sector, facilitating conversations that look to move us all forward together to a more productive place. While this is still very much a proud part of what we do, we have looked to expand that dialogue and engage with the largest stakeholder in research, the UK public.

Listening to the public

Thanks to support from Wellcome, CaSE has been able to carry out landmark research into what the public think and feel about R&D. The insights we have gained from surveying almost 40,000 people in four years have helped us refine our political advocacy and identify more meaningful and resonant ways to engage with public audiences. Listening to public views will ensure that policy positions benefit not only the R&D sector but better serve society. New polling we published on 11 November shows that 88% of the public think it is important for the government to invest in R&D and 50% think this is an acceptable use of taxpayers’ money.

However, to many the benefits of R&D feel distant and unevenly spread through society. Around a third say they can’t immediately think of any ways that R&D benefits the UK, and this figure rises to just over half when asked about benefits to them and their family.

That the R&D sector can retain strong support from the public while its outputs feel so intangible should give us pause for thought. We cannot assume this support will continue, especially as financial pressures on individuals and the state increase.

Instead, it should be a reason for action: we can and must increase efforts to make R&D more human and more local. CaSE’s research has consistently shown that emphasising the purpose of R&D, and the places it is happening, helps to strengthen this connection. For instance, although three-quarters say they know nothing or hardly anything about R&D in their local area, 70% would like to hear more from local researchers.

Geopolitical uncertainty

The UK has had the fortunate position in recent years of broad cross-party support for R&D. Of course, there have always been pockets of those who don’t see innovation as a priority, or who are sceptical of science and its outputs, however, in this country the mainstream view that R&D is a valuable national asset has dominated.

This could also, until recently, have been said of the USA. Each day, however, seems to bring a new dose of sadness and worry at the precarious position USA research finds itself in. Restrictions on research topics, reduction in funding, and sky rocketing visa costs for skilled workers are just some of the administrative obstacles faced in the country. These developments are bad enough without getting into some of the overtly hostile and anti-scientific rhetoric that has come recently from senior political figures.

America is a cautionary tale for the UK R&D sector. Not because we are in the same starting position, or because we are about to have the same issues on our doorstep, but because even a fraction of the challenges being faced in the USA could be seismically destructive for our already fragile system.

This context makes it vital that we don’t rest on the years of positive rhetoric and broad support we have enjoyed. We must engage all parts of the UK political spectrum and people in all communities across the UK. We must listen to what they have to say and make the case for why R&D can help improve their lives and livelihoods.

Election opportunities

Although political advocacy requires constant work, elections present particularly fertile opportunities to communicate a message to the people that hope to wield power and to those that bestow the power upon them.

During last year’s General Election, CaSE used public opinion insights to run a successful campaign that sought to demonstrate the value and relevance of R&D to the new cohort of MPs. New polling was analysed to provide constituency-level statistics, which were used to show candidates and newly elected MPs that their constituents wanted them to take action to support R&D, both locally and in Parliament.

This campaign received positive responses from across the political spectrum, generating new relationships and followon meetings with MPs – including with those who would not normally havebeen on the R&D sector’s radar as likely supporters.

Building on this success, we are turning our focus to next year’s Holyrood and Senedd elections. These elections come amid a shifting political landscape; there is an urgent need to proactively engage all new parliamentarians and positively influence their attitudes towards the Scottish and Welsh R&D sectors.

CaSE’s 2024 polling showed that a majority would like to vote for politicians who will support R&D in the UK and would support their MP voting in Parliament in favour of decisions that will support R&D in the UK. Our public opinion research has consistently found that a majority would also support more regional and local R&D. The main perceived benefits are growing the local economy, more opportunities for young people and more well-paid jobs in the area.

As a sector, we have a responsibility to show policymakers that R&D isn’t just economically a smart choice, it is also a part of society that the public trust and want to see supported.

Talking R&D on the doorstep

I have spoken a lot about the critical importance of using what we know the public think and feel to make the case to UK politicians for supporting R&D. However, there is a flip side to this coin. As we know, not everyone in the public feels the same way about R&D, and importantly some people have very little awareness of what it is or does. We need to mobilise political support into meaningful dialogue with society.

We have found that R&D is intangible for many people. As I’ve mentioned, around a third of the public say they can’t immediately think of any ways that R&D benefits the UK and some 45% think R&D in the UK benefits some more than others, with the wealthy and big businesses most often named as those who benefit most.

One other concerning finding we have seen is that there is a real risk of R&D no longer being seen as a priority by the public when trade-offs have to be made with other major challenges facing society. If we want this to matter to more people, there is a role for all of us, including elected officials, in engaging all parts of society in the conversation about how innovation impacts their lives in a very real way.

As part of our recent and upcoming political advocacy, CaSE is producing an expanding advocacy toolkit. In it, we offer clear, practical, and data-driven resources to help supporters of R&D connect with new audiences and cultivate lasting support.

From messaging strategies to supporting statistics, we aim to provide everything needed to tell a compelling story about R&D’s impact and create a vision of a future powered by innovation.

A request

Whether you use CaSE insights and tools or not, I urge anyone who sees themselves as a supporter of R&D to have conversations about what others think and feel about research.

I truly hope that the UK doesn’t head down the road that our American friends have found themselves on, but hope is not enough. It is on all of us who believe in the value of R&D to champion it, discuss it, and open it up to everyone in our society. For CaSE that starts with listening to the public, but it certainly doesn’t end there, it is what we do with the insights that matters most.

Dr Alicia Greated FRSE, Executive Director of Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE)

This article originally appeared in ReSourcE ReSourcE Autumn/Winter 2025.

The RSE’s blog series offers personal views on a variety of issues. These views are not those of the RSE and are intended to offer different perspectives on a range of current issues.