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The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) is a
non-profit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
that is the UK's leading independent advocate for science and engineering. It focuses on arguing for more research funding, promoting a high-tech and
knowledge-based economy The knowledge economy, or knowledge-based economy, is an economic system in which the production of goods and services is based principally on Knowledge intensive services, knowledge-intensive activities that contribute to advancement in Technol ...
, highlighting the need for top-quality science and maths education at all levels, and scrutinising the mechanisms by which government uses science and evidence.


History

The Campaign for Science and Engineering was founded as Save British Science (SBS) in January 1986. The organisation started out when 1,500 scientists banded together to pay for an advert in
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
. It called on the Prime Minister,
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...
to 'Save British Science'. The organisation changed its name to the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) in 2005.


Structure

CaSE is based in London. It receives its funding from over 100 member organisations, which currently include companies such as Astra Zeneca,
GlaxoSmithKline GSK plc (an acronym from its former name GlaxoSmithKline plc) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with headquarters in London. It was established in 2000 by a Mergers an ...
, and
Johnson Matthey Johnson Matthey plc is a British multinational speciality chemicals and sustainable technologies company headquartered in London, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History Early year ...
; universities such as the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
and
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
; learned and professional societies such as the
Royal Society of Biology The Royal Society of Biology (RSB), previously called the Society of Biology, is a learned society and professional association in the United Kingdom created to advance the interests of biology in academia, industry, education, and research. Fo ...
,
Institute of Physics The Institute of Physics (IOP) is a UK-based not-for-profit learned society and professional body that works to advance physics education, physics research, research and applied physics, application. It was founded in 1874 and has a worldwide ...
and
Royal Society of Chemistry The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a learned society and professional association in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemistry, chemical sciences". It was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the Chemical Society, the ...
; and charities including
Cancer Research UK Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organisation. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...
. CaSE also has a large number of individual members. CaSE employs a team of staff who are led by the executive director. It also has a board of directors who meet several times each year to discuss CaSE's strategy and set its campaigning priorities, as well as being responsible for governance and financial management of the organisation. Dr Robert Sorrell is the current chair of the board.


Activity

CaSE focuses its activity in five priority areas; People and Skills, Investment, Political Engagement, Public Opinion, and Research System delivering independent analysis and recommendations for action in reports in these areas. Following the 2016 Brexit referendum, it has been a strong voice in the areas of immigration, collaboration and regulation which are of particular concern to the science and engineering sector. In 2010, CaSE played a key role in the Science is Vital campaign, which lobbied against cuts to the UK science budget in the
Comprehensive Spending Review A spending review, or occasionally a comprehensive spending review, is a governmental process in the United Kingdom carried out by HM Treasury to set firm expenditure limits and, through public service agreements, define the key improvements that ...
of October that year. The science budget was frozen in the final review. In 2017 CaSE called for increase in R&D investment and the government subsequently committed to increasing spending to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. Other successes include lobbying for amendments to the HE and Research Bill in 2016. In 2023 CaSE published major pieces of work int
Public Attitudes to Research and Development
and th
Skills needs of a more innovative UK
CaSE holds regular meetings with representatives from its member organisations to inform its work, alongside sustained political engagement. This include meeting directly with MPs and Peers, submitting evidence to Select Committee Inquiries and being invited to speak at conference and panel events. CaSE also holds an annual lecture which is given by prominent scientific or political figures including
Jo Johnson Joseph Edmund Johnson, Baron Johnson of Marylebone, (born 23 December 1971) is a British politician and peer who was Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation ...
, then Universities and Science Minister, in 2016, Professor Ellen Stofan, then NASA Chief Scientist in 2014, Professor Anne Glover CBE, then EU Chief Scientific Advisor in 2013, and Sir Patrick Vallance, then UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor in 2019.


References


External links


Campaign for Science and Engineering website


{{Science and technology in the United Kingdom Non-profit organisations based in the United Kingdom Organisations based in the London Borough of Camden Scientific organizations established in 1986 Science advocacy organizations Scientific organisations based in the United Kingdom 1986 establishments in the United Kingdom