The treaty outlines a commitment to collaborate on
world-class science and innovation, building on existing
successful research co-operation in recognition of the
value of open data to further scientific research and
strengthen our economies.
The government has been clear in its commitment to
collaborate with countries around the world in science,
research and innovation and is investing record levels of
funding to maintain the UK’s strengths in these key areas
through its Industrial Strategy.
On signing the agreement, Science Minister, said:
The UK is known as a nation of science and technical
progress, with research and development being at the
core of our Industrial Strategy. By working with our
key allies, we are maintaining our position as a global
leader in research for years to come.
Our continued collaboration with the US on science and
innovation benefits both nations and this agreement
will enable us to share our expertise to enhance our
understanding of many important topics that have the
potential to be world changing.
The first major project of the UK-US Science and
Technology Agreement is UK investment in the Long
Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground
Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), for which the government has
confirmed £65 million funding.
Under construction in the United States, the major
international LBNF/DUNE project aims to answer some of
the most important questions in science and advance our
understanding of the origin and structure of the
universe. One aspect of study is the behaviour of
particles called neutrinos and their antimatter
counterparts, antineutrinos. This could provide insight
as to why we live in a matter-dominated universe and
inform the debate on why the universe survived the Big
Bang.
The UK is a major scientific contributor to the DUNE
collaboration, with 14 UK universities and two Science
and Technology Facilities Council laboratories providing
essential expertise and components to the experiment and
facility. This £65 million investment makes the UK the
largest country investor in the project outside of the
United States. UK involvement in the project will also
provide opportunities for UK industry to build capability
in new and developing technologies, for example, in
precision engineering, cryogenics and accelerator-based
applications.
Building on the UK-US partnership, the Arts and
Humanities Research Council and the Smithsonian
Institution are extending a successful history of
partnerships by developing a new collaboration based at
the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and
focused on increasing the use of digital research skills
in museums. Enhancing these skills will benefit areas
such as data analysis, curating, accessibility of
collections and also further audience engagement, all
focused on achieving best practice in digital scholarship
and the application of digital technologies at research
led museums.
Accompanying on the visit to the US,
Chief Executive Designate at UK Research and Innovation,
Sir Mark Walport said:
Research and innovation are global endeavours.
Agreements like the one signed today by the United
Kingdom and the United States set the framework for the
great discoveries of the future, whether that be
furthering our understanding of neutrinos or improving
the accessibility of museum collections.
Agreements like this also send a clear signal that UK
researchers are outward looking and ready to work with
the best talent wherever that may be. UK Research and
Innovation is looking forward to extending partnerships
in science and innovation around the world.
The President of the United States and the Prime Minister
agreed in January to deliver an ambitious agenda to
strengthen UK-US cooperation. This agreement is an
important step forward in fulfilling that ambition.
