A new Concordat has today (8 March) been signed by Research Councils UK (RCUK) and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
The Concordat will bring together researchers and experts with government officials to share knowledge and stimulate further research. In doing so, it will make the best use of combined resources and enhance the economic and societal impact of research.
Building on existing relationships with other government departments, this Concordat is the first time all seven of the Research Councils, together as RCUK, have signed such an agreement with a government department. It has a number of key objectives that both partners will work together to achieve. They include:
- Creating opportunities for both parties to comment and advise on each other’s research programmes.
- Working together to develop knowledge exchange activities.
- Investigating new ways of accessing and sharing data.
- Indentifying and development future research and training opportunities.
- Facilitating links with RCUK and relevant international research through respective networks.
Professor Alan Thorpe, Chair of RCUK said: “I am pleased to sign this Concordat on behalf of RCUK and believe it will help us work more closely with our colleagues in DCLG to get the most out of our joint initiatives. RCUK is committed to working with a wide range of partners in the public, private and charitable sectors to realise the full potential of our investment in research.”
The Concordat will provide a framework for current and future working between RCUK and DCLG. It will help identify areas of shared interest and opportunities for knowledge exchange.
Permanent Secretary of the DCLG Sir Bob Kerslake said: “Signing this Concordat is a great opportunity to build closer links between the Department and the academic world to give us better, more effective access to relevant research. To make the best policy we need access to high quality evidence and this agreement will help us make the best use of existing and new research, ensuring better value for money."
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Further information
Contact:
Jane Wakefield
RCUK Press and Communications Manager
Tel: 01793 444592
Notes to editors
Research Councils UK (RCUK) is the strategic partnership of the UK's seven Research Councils. We invest annually around £3 billion in research. Our focus is on excellence with impact. We nurture the highest quality research, as judged by international peer review providing the UK with a competitive advantage. Global research requires we sustain a diversity of funding approaches, fostering international collaborations, and providing access to the best facilities and infrastructure, and locating skilled researchers in stimulating environments. Our research achieves impact – the demonstrable contribution to society and the economy made by knowledge and skilled people. To deliver impact, researchers and businesses need to engage and collaborate with the public, business, government and charitable organisations. www.rcuk.ac.uk.
The seven UK Research Councils are:
- Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
- Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC);
- Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC);
- Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC);
- Medical Research Council (MRC);
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC);
- Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC).