Written question asked by Esther McVey (Conservative) on Tuesday, 14 December 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 16 December 2010. It was answered by Lord Willetts (Conservative) on Monday, 20 December 2010 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Science: Research

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to assist science and technology research institutions in contributing to economic growth.

Answer: HEFCE and the Research Councils will work together so that rewards and incentives to bring universities and business closer together are delivered coherently:"Research Councils encourage researchers to consider potential beneficiaries and the future impact of their research from inception.""HEFCE and Research Councils support current collaborations between research and business and reward high performance.""The Research Excellence Framework will recognise the impact of excellent research undertaken in universities in the past."Full details of funding for these initiatives for 2011-15 can be found in the document ““The Allocation of Science and Research Funding”” published on the BIS website today.

Secondary information