Updated: Edited to include further UK Science and Innovation Network content.
Issue
Science and innovation underpin the economies of both the US and the UK. Encouraging work between the two countries therefore produces benefits for both.
By working together, the US and UK can help secure their energy needs and reduce emissions that harm the environment.
Each year, thousands of Americans study in the UK and thousands of Britons study in the US. The connections they make studying abroad help sustain the special relationship in the long term.
Actions
helping US and UK university staff to work together on research projects
working with federal, state and local government on policies to preserve the environment and supply British energy needs
supporting scholarship and exchange programmes to enable British students to study in the US and Americans to study in the UK
working to increase UK-US cooperative approaches to address global concerns such as climate change, energy, food security and health data
working together on the development of major acquisition projects such as Joint Strike Fighter and C-17 to working with US counterparts on cyber and space cooperation
Science and Innovation Network (SIN)
To promote international collaboration the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office jointly fund the UK Science and Innovation Network (SIN), based in 28 countries around the world.
SIN USA works to:
influence science and innovation policies of US government, industry and academia to benefit the UK
improve UK policy based on international experience and emerging opportunities and challenges with the US
stimulate strategic science collaborations with the US to benefit the UK and deliver wider policy goals
harness international technology partnerships and investment to grow UK innovation capability
Science and Innovation in the USA
A number of organisations are involved in science and innovation policy formation in the US. Total US research and development spending during the 2012 fiscal year is estimated to have been $427 billion – around 34% of the world’s total. Federal expenditure alone in 2012 was just over $140 billion. Additionally, the US:
publishes more than 60% of the world’s highly cited publications
employs 25% of the world’s researchers (more than the whole of the EU)
is responsible for nearly 40% of OECD patented new technology
is home to more than half of the top 100 universities in the world, including 15 of the top 20
President Obama has put science and technology at the heart of the agenda for his second term in office, but with a focus on prioritizing certain science and technology areas due to uncertain federal budgets. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy outlined the following multi-agency Science and Technology priorities for the 2014 budget:
advanced manufacturing, as outlined in the National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing
moving toward a clean energy future to reduce dependence on energy imports while curbing greenhouse gas emissions
understanding, adapting to, and mitigating the impacts of global climate change
research and development for informed policy-making and management
information technology research and development
nanotechnology, especially giving focus on the Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives
biological Innovation, especially enhancing translational sciences to accelerate innovation and regulatory decision-making
science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM) education
innovation and commercialization, especially support for university-industry partnerships
SIN USA successes
Our recent accomplishments include:
supporting an international collaboration in rare and lethal cancer research between Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI), followed by 11 clinical trials and several SIN initiated workshops throughout the US to attract additional partner institutes to the collaboration
fostering collaboration between the University of Liverpool, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), and the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), through which joint grants totaling approximately £1,174,000 were secured from the Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust to research vaccine development for global health
facilitating collaborations across the field of weather and climate, and strengthening the UK Meteorological Office’s Relationship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that has resulted in five joint research papers and the UK Met Office provided input to the 2012 NOAA State of Climate Report
collaborating with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) to facilitate a strong relationship between Kings College London (KCL) and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). Through this link, KCL researchers have gained access to top Bay Area biotechnology companies, and this has directly resulted in Genentech developing collaboration with KCL researchers to investigate the biological properties of a disease targeted by Genentech drug
Read more about Global SIN successes in our annual report here.
Opportunities
SIN US does not have regular calls for project proposals. We aim to proactively seek out UK-US collaborations in our priority areas of interest, and to reactively assess any potential projects that are suggested to us. If you are looking to work with researchers in the UK then please get in touch with your local SIN Officer. Our work results in joint funding proposals, research papers, and formal partnerships. Some of the ways we do this include:
making introductions and strengthening ties with UK government, universities, laboratories, and other potential partners
bringing US-based research staff and science policy makers together with their counterparties in the UK
organizing meetings and researcher exchange visits and initiating MoU’s with both US and UK participants
While SIN US does not fund, commission, or conduct specific research, we should be considered the first stop for aiding UK/US scientific collaboration.
SIN USA contact details
Science and Innovation Network, Atlanta
Kerry Norton
Georgia Pacific Center, Suite 3400
133 Peachtree Street, NE
Atlanta GA 30303
USA
Email
Kerry.Norton@fco.gov.uk
Geographical coverage: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
Science and Innovation Network, Boston
Sarah Hokanson PhD
One Broadway
Cambridge MA 02142
USA
Email
Sarah.Hokanson@fco.gov.uk
Geographical coverage: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
Science and Innovation Network, Chicago
Jack Westwood PhD
625 N Michigan Avenue, Suite 2200
Chicago IL 60611
USA
Email
Jack.Westwood@fco.gov.uk
Geographical coverage: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
Science and Innovation Network, Houston
Catherine Santamaria
Wells Fargo Plaza
1000 Louisiana, Suite 1900
Houston TX 77002
USA
Email
Catherine.Santamaria@fco.gov.uk
Geographical coverage: Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Science and Innovation Network, Los Angeles
Nicholas Hooper
2029 Century Park East, Suite 1350
Los Angeles CA 90067
USA
Email
Nicholas.Hooper@fco.gov.uk
Geographical coverage: Arizona, California (Southern), Hawaii, Nevada (Southern), and Utah
Science and Innovation Network, San Francisco
Chris Knowland
1 Sansome Street, Suite 850
San Francisco CA 94104
USA
Email
Chris.Knowland@fco.gov.uk
Geographical coverage: Alaska, California (North), Idaho, Montana, Nevada (North), Oregon, Washington, Wyoming
Science and Innovation Network, Washington DC
Bradley Keelor
3100 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20008
USA
Email
Bradley.Keelor@fco.gov.uk
Geographical coverage: Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and New Jersey
Social Media
Read our US Science and Innovation team blog: Partners in Science