As the Academy runs an extensive programme of grants and prizes for engineers at every career stage in the UK, we are also part of the UK’s research and innovation ecosystem. We strive to be a funder of best practice.
Research Culture
Research culture encompasses the behaviours, values, expectations, attitudes, and norms of our research communities. As a funder of research, we are involved in a number of initiatives to improve research culture.
NEW REPORT: Engineering economy and place
This report delivers a detailed understanding of engineering across the UK. describing how much, what type, where and in what context engineering is happening. The report and its supporting data remove a barrier to describing the local and national role of engineering.
NEW RESOURCE: Interactive dashboard
We have created an interactive dashboard to accompany the Engineering Economy and Place report. Use the dashboard to understand what the engineering economy looks like in your region or local authority and explore how it can vary across the UK.
Research statements and responses
Radical Innovation – a blueprint for a new UK research and technology funding agency
The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), is the latest major funder to join the UK’s research and innovation ecosystem, officially launched in in August 2022. Ahead of the creation of ARIA, we produced a briefing setting out a blueprint for an agency the supports radical innovation. It provides insights from the engineering community on how an Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA)-style agency could bring most value to the UK.
- This briefing is based on discussions by our Fellows and a wider network of associated and partners of the Royal Academy of Engineering, including participants in ARPA and similar programmes
Brexit and Horizon Europe
EU support, both financial and non-financial, has contributed to the success of the UK’s research and innovation base. Following the UK’s departure from the EU, as part of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) published in December 2020, the UK agreed to associate to European Research programmes, including Horizon Europe, Copernicus and Euratom Research & Training (R&T). However, the UK’s association to Horizon Europe remains undecided.
Since it was announced that there would be a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, we have done lots of work looking at the challenges, opportunities and alternatives:
The Academy responded to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee on Brexit, Science and Innovation: preparations for a No Deal in February 2019
In December 2018 the Academy responded to the House of Commons EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee inquiry on Brexit: EU student exchanges and funding for university research
Written evidence was submitted to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee in February 2018 on Brexit: Science and Innovation
International Collaborations
The Academy has contributed to a number of projects regarding the UK's international collaborations...:
Opinion Leader was commissioned by the UK National Academies in May 2017 to conduct a qualitative and quantitative study of their Fellows and grant recipients to better understand their international collaborations and mobility
The UK National Academies commissioned Technopolis in May 2017 to understand where EU funding for research and innovation goes, what kind of activities it supports and what other investment it attracts.
In May 2018 the Academy, along with the National Academies and institutions across the UK and Europe, signed a joint statement setting out shared commitment to a future partnership between the UK and Europe.
The Academy responded to a consultation in May 2019 on the design of future UK funding schemes for international collaboration, research and innovation