Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 140
140
Scottish academic research also has great success internationally.
Conclusion
Scottish academic research also has great success internationally. The RSE Young Academy of Scotland told us that Scotland’s researchers publish extensively outside Scotland (89% Scotland vs UK 72%) through “high impact collaborations”.330 Professor Chris Pearce, University of Glasgow, also noted that: [ … ] with less than 0.1% of the global population, Scotland has 2% of the world’s most highly cited research outputs and 1% of the world’s most highly cited authors. Relative to the size of our population, this is better than the rest of the UK and better than high-performing countries such as Germany and the Netherlands. This pattern is also seen in the number of papers that we publish with international co-authors, demonstrating that Scotland has an internationally connected and collaborative research community.331
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
Appointments to the UKRI Board are made on personal experience and skill set via open competition. Appointees are not recruited to represent any constituency, sector or regional grouping as it is essential that they operate collectively for the overall benefit of UKRI and the UK. The legal requirement for BEIS Secretaries of State to have regard to experience of research and innovation conditions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland when appointing UKRI’s Non-Executive Directors is, however, also taken into account, alongside a range of other issues, during recruitment exercises to ensure a balanced Board. In addition to this legal requirement, it is essential that UKRI operate with an effective understanding of the diversity of the UK R&D landscape. This is achieved through regular engagement and collaboration with the Devolved Administrations and their delivery bodies (as described below) and informed by BEIS’ and Territorial Offices’ own engagement, including discussions between the Science Minister and DA counterparts. UKRI engages with people and organisations across the UK through a number of mechanisms, including regular senior-level meetings with the CEO, Dame Ottoline Leyser, UKRI Strategy Directors and individual Council Executive Chairs. These include representatives from devolved governments including the Chief Scientific Advisers, individual institutions and businesses. The UKRI Board will also be seeking to hold regular meetings outside of London and is keen to liaise closely with the Devolved Administrations in their planning. Dame Ottoline Leyser has conducted virtual visits to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales during her first year in post. Research and Innovation stakeholders from across the UK are also engaged through groups that are convened by UKRI, for example the UKRI Science and Innovation Strategy Forum (SISF) a mechanism for senior-level engagement to ensure the strategic alignment of R&D priorities and policies between the Devolved Administrations and the UK Government, and to provide high-level strategic direction which helps to enrich the UK’s research and innovation landscape. Research England is a legal component of UKRI, and thus the Board and CEO have responsibility for its proper running. In particular, the CEO is the responsible Accounting Officer for the budgets spent through Research England and it is essential that Research England and its Executive Chair are part of the overall UKRI governance structure including the Executive Committee. As a component of UKRI, subject to the same internal policies e.g. on staffing, assurance and finance, it is necessary that Research England is appropriately integrated within UKRI’s corporate operations. There is no equivalent corporate role for the other UK HE funding bodies within UKRI. UKRI’s vision is for an outstanding research and innovation system in the UK that gives everyone the opportunity to contribute and to benefit, enriching lives locally, nationally and internationally. To do this it is essential that a wide range of stakeholders are regularly consulted by UKRI as outlined.