Can the political drive for science heal divisions in society?

Science is enjoying political favour. All major parties support significant new investment in research and innovation from public funds. For the Government, this investment is intimately linked with an attempt to tackle differences in prosperity across the country through the Industrial Strategy, whose central objective is 'to increase living standards and economic growth across the UK'. Science has therefore become part of a social justice agenda which is likely to persist as a priority through transitions in political power.

Science has value for society in enabling discovery, exploration and innovation that can improve individual wellbeing and national competitiveness. But will the benefits of increased scientific capability be felt by us all or could it leave some people behind? In this inaugural lecture, Dr Sarah Main draws on experience at the interface of science and politics to suggest what could be done to make the drive for science deliver for you.

About Dr Sarah Main

Dr Sarah Main is the Executive Director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) and represents the interests of CaSE members in the media and in high-level discussions with Government Ministers, Parliamentary Committees, Chief Scientific Advisors and senior civil servants. Sarah has been a member of advisory groups for influential policy reviews, including the Centre for Social Justice's report, The Great British Breakthrough - Driving Productivity Growth in the UK, launched by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2017; and the Reid review of Government Funded Research and Innovation in Wales, commissioned by the Welsh Government and published in 2018. Sarah is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and a Trustee of the British Science Association.