Science and innovation strengthen the economies of both UK and the US. UK-US scientific partnership is world’s strongest and most productive, and cheering work between two countries so produces benefits for both. Through collaboration, UK and US can assist secure their energy requirements and decrease emissions which harm the environment.
Together, UK and US boast 18 of world’s top 20 universities. Each year, thousands of Americans study in UK and thousands of Britons study the US. Connections they make studying abroad help maintain special relationship in the long term.
Actions
Working to added strategic science and innovation collaborations between UK and US give to UK Policy development by recognizing US best practice and horizon scanning promising opportunities and challenges working with federal, state and local government on policies to protect environment and supply British energy requirements supporting scholarship and exchange programmes to allow British students to study in US and Americans to study in UK working to increase UK-US cooperative approaches to address global concerns like climate change, energy, food security and health data working together on development of major acquisition projects like Joint Strike Fighter and C-17 to working with US counterparts on cyber and space cooperation Science and Innovation Network (SIN)
SIN USA works to:
Influence science and innovation policies of US government, industry and academia to advantage UK enhance UK policy based on international experience and emerging opportunities and challenges with US stimulate strategic science collaborations with US to benefit UK and deliver wider policy goals harness international technology partnerships and investment to grow UK innovation skill
Science and Innovation in USA
Several organisations are engaged in science and innovation policy formation in US. Total US research and development spending during 2012 fiscal year is evaluated to have been $427 billion – around 34% of world’s total. Federal expenditure alone in 2012 was just over $140 billion. Additionally, the US:
Publishes more than 60% of world’s highly cited publications.
Employs 25% of world’s researchers (more than whole of the EU).
Is liable for almost 40% of OECD patented new technology.
Is home to more than half of top 100 universities in world, including 15 of the top 20.
President Obama has put science and technology at heart of agenda for his second term in office, but with the focus on prioritizing certain science and technology areas because of uncertain federal budgets. White House Office of Science and Technology Policy summarize following multi-agency Science and Technology priorities for the 2014 budget:
Advanced manufacturing, as outlined in National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing.
Moving toward the clean energy future to decrease dependence on energy imports while curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
Understanding, adapting to, and mitigating influences of global climate change.
Research and development for informed policy-making and management.
Information technology research and development.
Nanotechnology, particularly giving focus on Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives.
Biological Innovation, particularly improving translational sciences to accelerate innovation and regulatory decision-making.
Science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM) education.
Innovation and commercialization, mainly support for university-industry partnerships.
SIN USA successes.
Recent achievements include:
Supporting the international collaboration in unusual and deadly cancer research between Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI), 11 clinical trials and many SIN initiated workshops throughout US to attract extra partner institutes to collaboration fostering collaboration between University of Liverpool, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), and US Centres for Disease Control (CDC), by which joint grants totalling approximately £1,174,000 were secured from Gates
Opportunities
SIN US doesn’t have regular calls for project proposals. We aspire to proactively look out UK-US collaborations in the priority areas of interest, and to reactively assess any potential projects that are suggested to us. If you are looking to work with researchers in UK then get in touch with local SIN Officer. The work results in joint funding proposals, research papers, and formal partnerships.
Some of the methods includes:
Making introductions and support ties with UK government, universities, laboratories, and other potential partners.
Bringing US-based research staff and science policy makers together with their counterparties in UK.
Organizing meetings and researcher exchange visits and starting MoU’s with both US and UK participants.
While SIN US doesn’t fund, commission, or perform specific research, we must be considered first stop for helping UK/US scientific collaboration.