Lords Inquiry explores the role of universities and public sector research establishments in delivering a UK science and technology strategy

The public evidence session will take place at 10.15am (GMT) on Tuesday 1 March 2022 and can be viewed live on Parliament TV. 

The Committee will explore the role that universities and public sector research establishments (PSREs) can, and should, play in delivering a UK science and technology strategy. It will seek to understand the governance of PSREs: how much influence Government has over their programmes and the collaboration between PSREs, universities, and industry. 

The Committee will also ask about the incentives in academia, the funding model for universities, and the contribution universities can make to regional economic growth. 

10:15am 

• Sir Adrian Smith, Director and Chief Executive, The Alan Turing Institute
• Dr Paul Bate, CEO, UK Space Agency
• Chris Wigley, CEO, Genomics England 

11:15am  

• Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and the Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics, University of Cambridge
• Dr David Richards, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Enterprise, University of Hull
• Professor Chris Pearce, Vice Principal for Research, University of Glasgow. 

Possible question areas include 

• How PSREs are governed and how they relate to government departments.  
• How the contribution of PSREs and universities to a science and technology strategy can be maximised.  
• How the Government can influence the research activities of PSREs and universities, and to what extent it should.   
• The links between PSREs, universities and the wider research and development infrastructure.   
• How the UK’s research and development landscape compares to those in other countries, and how well it collaborates with international partners.