Joseph Ewing

Rotherhithe. Millwall FC. Trustee @StandOut_HQ. Senior Executive Adviser, Policy and Public Affairs @lifearc1. Formerly @acmedsci @CRUK_Policy. Views my own.

[Centre for British Progress @BritishProgress]

👀Big things are happening in the world of British progress 👀

Watch this space this week 📈

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

@dc_lawrence Bit harsh on Slough…

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

@ersatzben Yeah I’m very happy with it - except when I’m too tired first thing in the morning to use it properly…(see below)

Only real oddity was it had to be converted from USA power supply, so I had a slight high pitched humming for a while, but that seems to have gone!

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

@ersatzben Haha I did - just felt you needed to proudly own your coffee nerdery 😅

Yep - nearly went for it a year back but decided I didn’t have capacity for home espresso and my aeropress routine doesn’t call for it 😞 Plumped for the Fellow Ode Gen 2 instead so as to not feel too sad

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

@ersatzben ... e.g. a 'park run' style badge for how many years you've worked in a sector, or a badge for how many sectors you've worked in, etc. 2/2

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

@ersatzben Yep. I don't know much about the BEIS/DSIT R&D workforce survey, but I assume that's a decent place to start/expand from.

I also personally think LinkedIn could be used more: both for gathering data about R&D personnel moving around, but also incentivising it... 1/2

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

@ersatzben "There are many good examples...[but] limited understanding between sectors, poorly aligned incentives and a perception of both personal and institutional risk...create conditions in which movement between sectors is, at best, unidirectional and, at worst, disincentivised."

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

@ersatzben From my time helping with Chapter 2 of this report, my sense was it's largely anecdotal (but sufficiently reported to be credible).

I think it would really help to firm up the evidence - so we can fully understand what we're talking about.

https://t.co/23tdKgQoV8

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

@dc_lawrence Understood. I can only reflect on my personal reactions, but they didn’t scream British progress to me (even if you’re right about which kinds of projects are needed). Have you thought more abstractly about a visual representation of progress?

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

@dc_lawrence They all seem quite old school…are we to assume you’d take the core look and add a modern element? I think progress should be at least a tad futuristic (not sci fi, but seeming modern/up to date). Trains and bridges definitely don’t make me think of progress.

[Monica Dahiya @mon_dahiya]

innovation happens at the intersection between sectors💡

but researchers can struggle to make the leap, and it can feel like a risk to try something new

we talk about this in our Future-proofing UK Health research report

and this award helps to mitigate these challenges⬇️

[LifeArc @lifearc1]

We're proud to join the Shared Commitment to Public Involvement.

This pledge aims to raise the standards of health research through stronger and more meaningful engagement with patients and the public.

Read more: https://t.co/94USF4c5P3

@NIHRinvolvement @HRA_Latest

[Martin Smith @martinrsmith]

There's even a small increase in the R&D budget for next year - from £20bn to £20.4bn - and an increase to DSIT's share of that.

It looks like the sector's worst fears about how the lumpiness of costs relating to Horizon and the guarantee will be budgeted for have been allayed

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

@MJBBurnett @ersatzben @REF_Owens @awmackenzie @dowell_douglas @martinrsmith @mon_dahiya I think @REF_Owens point about only paying part of a year last year helps explain the big jump?

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

Can someone (*cough* @martinrsmith) explain...

• £15.1BN for DSIT in 2025/26
• £13.9BN for R&D 2025/26
• £2.7 billion (over what time?) for association to EU research programmes, partnerships and Horizon guarantee.

Is this as feared?!

4.94: https://t.co/z5FNdYSeRO

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

@MJBBurnett @ersatzben @REF_Owens @awmackenzie @dowell_douglas @martinrsmith @mon_dahiya I might be being stupid but isn't it just the £2.7BN in the Red book?

https://t.co/z5FNdYSeRO

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

@MJBBurnett Might be approaching an answer: https://t.co/dJi80M5Qoq

[Ryan Owens @REF_Owens]

@ersatzben @josephwewing @awmackenzie @dowell_douglas @martinrsmith @mon_dahiya Am I looking at this too simplistically? Cost of association was due to rise in 2025, DSIT allocation for Horizon has risen by approx. £0.5bn, and the overall up £1.4bn from projected baseline 24/25. Does that mean any hit shouldn't be as bad as the £800mn-£1bn predicted?

[Ryan Owens @REF_Owens]

@ersatzben @josephwewing @awmackenzie @dowell_douglas @martinrsmith @mon_dahiya Am I looking at this too simplistically? Cost of association was due to rise in 2025, DSIT allocation for Horizon has risen by approx. £0.5bn, and the overall up £1.4bn from projected baseline 24/25. Does that mean any hit shouldn't be as bad as the £800mn-£1bn predicted?

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

...via capital gains tax, NICs and things like a slow devaluing of the BADR.

As well as number crunching, all eyes will now turn to Phase 2 of the Spending Review...

Important to set up a stable, predictable and attractive environment for life science, including investment 2/2

[Joseph Ewing @josephwewing]

Looking forward to details - especially whether Horizon Europe costs are 'folded into' DSIT budget (and if so, whether there will be a little uplift to help avoid cutting other things).

Positive confirmations on R&D tax credits, EIS and more. Some squeezing of businesses... 1/2

[CaSE @sciencecampaign]

Our initial response to today's Budget from CaSE Executive Director @AliciaGreated:

https://t.co/42xPWvqO3U