Correspondence

Principles for science and technology moon-shots

Advice to the Prime Minister on creating an ambitious, goal-oriented research and development programme as part of a UK research and innovation strategy.

• From: Council for Science and Technology
• Published: 1 July 2020
• Last updated: 12 July 2024 — See all updates

Documents

Principles for science and technology moon-shots: letter from Council for Science & Technology to Prime Minister

PDF, 192 KB, 5 pages

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Principles for science and technology moon-shots: Response from Prime Minister

PDF, 106 KB, 4 pages

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Principles for running a successful mission

PDF, 257 KB, 4 pages

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Details

The Prime Minister invited the Council for Science and Technology to offer advice on moon-shots that could showcase the UK as a science superpower.

The CST has provided advice on how a moon-shot might be defined and highlights 7 principles for formulating and choosing a moon-shot theme.

1. Excite and inspire the public, academia, and industry
2. Help solve an important societal issue
3. Be truly disruptive and ground-breaking
4. Focus on areas where the underpinning science is at a stage to make a major breakthrough feasible
5. Be specific and well-defined in what it sets out to achieve, with a clear timeframe for completion
6. Take advantage of areas where the UK is, or is poised to be, a world leader
7. Generate significant additional benefits.

The letter also highlights factors that the government should consider for delivery of a successful moon-shot programme.

In October 2018, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and CST developed advice on principles for running a successful mission.

Published 1 July 2020
Last updated 12 July 2024 + show all updates

1. 12 July 2024

   Advice on 'Principles for running a successful mission' has been added.

2. 24 July 2020

   Response from the Prime Minister added.

3. 1 July 2020

   First published.