[SGRupdate] Behind Closed Doors - New SGR Report Out Today

[Scientists for Global Responsibility]

Behind Closed Doors

A Report on the Military Influence in UK Universities

Press Release 12 June 2008

A report by UK scientists reveals the secrecy surrounding the growing
influence of the military on the research agenda in British universities.

Behind Closed Doors, published today by Scientists for Global
Responsibility, is the result of an in-depth investigation into 16 of
Britain's universities, including some of the most prestigious.

Using new data gained under the Freedom of Information Act, the report's
authors estimate that the average level of military funding of UK
universities is up to five times larger than government figures suggest.
[1]

The report also reveals the pervasive extent of the military influence in
UK universities. The authors encountered significant disquiet among some
university staff about the growing presence of military and commercial
influences on campus, and their effect on the research agenda.

The report highlights how, since 2002, new military research groups have
sprung up in universities supported by publicly-funded research councils,
military corporations and the Ministry of Defence. The expansion of such
groups has been accelerated by the 2006 Defence Technology Strategy.

The UK is the world's third biggest spender on military research and
development, approximately £2.5 billion net expenditure by the Ministry of
Defence alone in 2005/6. [2]

The military targets 'high-prestige' universities for the highest funding,
thus diverting some of Britain's finest scientists away from crucial areas
such as health and the environment into military research.

The report's authors call for a full public debate on the role of the
military in UK universities. They are Dr Chris Langley, an independent
scientific consultant and writer; Dr Stuart Parkinson, an ex-military
sector electronic engineer and former expert reviewer for the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; and Dr Philip Webber, who has
written widely on science and military issues, previously a research
scientist at London's Imperial College.

Chris Langley said "The creeping influence of the military establishment in
our universities is deeply disturbing. We encountered secrecy, evasiveness
and a lack of accountability while researching this report. Many university
officials expressed concerns about military funding but were afraid to
speak out. There must be complete transparency if public confidence in
science is to be maintained".

Universities investigated were Birkbeck College London, Bournemouth,
Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Exeter, Imperial College London, Leeds,
Leeds Metropolitan, Newcastle, Oxford, Plymouth, Sheffield, Southampton,
University College London, and the West of England.

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) is an independent organisation
of ethically-concerned science, design and technology professionals,
founded in 1992 - see: http://www.sgr.org.uk/

ENDS

To download a copy of the report, go to:
http://www.sgr.org.uk/ArmsControl/MilitaryInfluence.html

To order a printed copy of the report, go to:
http://www.sgr.org.uk/publications.html

For further information, contact SGR at <info at sgr.org.uk> or 01303 851965


Notes to Editors

1) The most recent government figure for military funding of UK
universities is £44 million in 2004, an average of less than £400,000 per
year for each of the higher education institutes. (Dept for Business,
Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; Dept for Innovation, Universities and
Skills)

2) Defence Analytical and Statistical Agency
http://www.dasa.mod.uk/natstats/ukds/2007/c1/sec1intro.html

3) In 2006, governments in the rich, industrialised countries spent $96
billion on military R & D, compared to $56 billion on health and
environmental R&D and $1.1 billion on renewable energy R&D. (OECD and
International Energy Agency)

4) Previous reports published by Scientists for Global Responsibility:

* Langley C. (2005). Soldiers in the Laboratory: military involvement in
science and technology - and some alternatives.

* Langley C., Parkinson S., Webber, P. (2007). More Soldiers in the
Laboratory: the militarisation of science and technology - an update.
http://www.sgr.org.uk/ArmsControl/MilitaryInfluence.html