University research and development matters to everyone – but we need to get better at explaining why

Why does university R&D matter?

In recent months, both the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition have rightly identified the critical role of R&D, much of which takes place in our universities, in addressing the challenges the country faces.

Universities use R&D to make scientific and creative breakthroughs that impact our everyday lives, they generate and build on existing knowledge, and develop and nurture businesses that employ thousands of people up and down the country. R&D is local, regional and international in nature, and universities often act as hubs for this activity.

Using a range of multidisciplinary expertise, university R&D also supports university-industry engagement, international relations, technological developments and social, economic and behavioural responses. R&I outcomes and infrastructure also support the wider higher education teaching experience.

In 2021, we produced a briefing on how university R&D will play a key role in supporting the UK's economic and social recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and ambitions to become a science superpower. This highlighted how it supports local places to prosper, helps lead the transition to net zero, leverages private sector investment and can create a more global and outward looking Britain. Universities UK’s (UUK’s) 2023 report, Higher Education Research and Innovation in Facts and Figures, showcases how universities are at the heart of R&D activity across the country and the clear role that universities can play in building an economy that delivers growth and opportunity for communities across the whole of the UK.

What do the public think about university R&D?

UUK recently commissioned BritainThinks to undertake a survey, along with interviews and focus groups, to measure public perceptions towards universities in the UK. The research, conducted with a nationally representative sample of around 2,500 adults revealed that:

• 67% of respondents agree that UK universities are globally recognised for their outstanding research (potentially due to their contributions during the Covid-19 pandemic).
• 81% agreed that university research is essential for medical, technological, and social innovations.

It is clear that the public recognise the quality of university R&D, however, during the accompanying interviews and focus groups, there was doubt about what ‘world-leading’ research meant in practice. Furthermore, the impact of the research conducted by universities had very low salience, with only a handful of participants spontaneously referencing this.

These perceptions go beyond R&D conducted at universities. UUK have supported the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) Discovery Decade project, which is exploring ways to engage the public in R&D. CaSE’s Public Opinion: February 2023 Trends Report found that 70% of surveyed people ‘felt it was important for the government to invest in R&D’, and just over 60% of people either agreed that ‘R&D doesn’t benefit people like them’ or felt neutral or unsure about R&D’s impacts.

How can we make R&D matter to more people?

As the UK Government's R&D People and Culture Strategy outlines, people are at the heart of R&D, and this includes students, researchers, technicians and most notably, the public.

CaSE’s work has found a need to make stronger links between R&D and things that matter to the public. It also noted how universities have a wealth of research examples, but need to spell out how they benefit the public in clear and tangible terms. Part of this involves conveying how research happens ‘on people’s doorsteps’.

We should ensure that lived experiences are a key driver for research and outline ways for the public to get involved. UUK is a supporter of a shared commitment to improve public involvement in health and social care research in the UK. Developed with the Health Research Authority, the National Institute for Health Research and a group of other funders, regulators and research organisations, the commitment is central to nationwide efforts to make health and social care research matter for patients and the public.

Many universities already publish ways that they engage with the public on research. Just a few examples include:

• University of Exeter, who have outlined research engagement with patients and the public, schools and the community.
• University of Sheffield, who have outlined projects in health research that involve the public.
• Bournemouth University, who have a created a ‘Public Involvement in Education and Research partnership’.
• University of Manchester, who have a public contributor community.
• Cardiff University’s Marie Curie Research Centre, who have developed a Public Involvement in Research Toolkit.

We can also use UUK’s national platform to collate and share examples through our public campaigns, with our ‘Made at Uni – everyday breakthroughs’ campaign being one such example.

We want to encourage universities to reflect on the shared commitment, as well as their own work on public engagement in research. We should be immensely proud of the UK’s university R&D activities, let’s say more about it and continue to work with the people it positively impacts.