Yesterday, the Government announced their Science and Innovation Strategy. This document sets out the Government’s long term strategy to make the UK the best place in the world for science and business.

The strategy provides further detail for some of the funding priorities outlined in the recent Autumn Statement. The Government says it will invest £5.9bn into the UK's research infrastructure from 2016-2021. £3bn to support capital expenditure, the money going into laboratory infrastructure, and another £2.9bn will go towards supporting scientific 'Grand Challenges, which will enable the UK to invest in major research facilities of national significance.'

The new document also outlines five key principles that it says should underpin science policy over the next few years: excellence, agility, collaboration, place and openness.

Chancellor George Osborne; Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Vince Cable; and Minister for Universities, Science and Cities Greg Clark, were signatories of the document.

Dr Mark Downs, chief executive of the Society of Biology said, "The breadth and signatories of the strategy demonstrate a cross-departmental recognition of the importance of science, and the five underlying principles are well chosen. It is recognised that long term commitments can be hard to make in the run-up to an election, but we urge the next Government to make a clearer commitment to long term provision for funding of science and innovation, which are so essential to underpinning the UK’s economic growth.”