Military influence on science, engineering and technology

SGR believes that the military exerts far too much influence over science, engineering and technology in the UK and elsewhere. We believe there needs to be a major shift in both resources and emphasis away from military science and technology towards areas such as clean technology, research on non-violent conflict resolution, and science and technology for poverty alleviation. The concept of 'Security' also needs to be redefined to include many of the pressing issues that face the world today - issues which can be addressed by drawing upon the expertise that resides in science and technology.

SGR regularly gives lectures on this issue up and down the UK (see also our Forthcoming Events page), and has had various articles published. We have also produced three reports:

Behind Closed Doors: Military influence, commercial pressures and the compromised university, launched on 12th June 2008 is the result of an in-depth investigation into 16 of Britain's universities, including some of the most prestigious. The Report uses new data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, and builds upon the material assembled in the two previous studies of military involvement in UK universities. We estimate that the average level of military funding of UK universities is up to five times higher than government figures suggest. The report also reveals the pervasive extent of the military influence in UK universities, which raises significant disquiet among some university staff to whom we spoke 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 growth in the number of such groups has been accelerated by the UK 2006 Defence Technology Strategy.

Some comments on Behind Closed Doors:

"It is disturbing to read that academics and officials were reluctant to provide information to this study. If they have any qualms about revealing aspects of their work they should not be undertaking it. Universities are publicly funded institutions and should be required to publish a detailed list of all research they receive, as Cambridge University does……….I hope that this report will open doors and open minds."

Dr Ian Gibson MP
Former Chair of the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology.

"Scientists for Global Responsibility are to be congratulated on this authoritative follow-up to their previous report (Soldiers in the Laboratory). Over the past decades British universities have been pressed ever closer into liaisons with industry, commerce, and the military. Behind Closed Doors provides as clear a picture as possible from publicly available sources and responses to SGR's own survey of a number of universities as to the extent of this military involvement, which has notably increased in the context of the so-called "war on terror." The report raises important questions as to both whether these developments and expenditures actually aid the security of British citizens, and the effect that these often secret research programmes have on what should remain a university's primary mission. It should be required reading for anyone concerned with developments in military technology, academic freedom or science policy."

Professor Steven Rose
Department of Biology
The Open University, UK

More Soldiers in the laboratory: the militarisation of science and technology - an update, (Aug 2007), provides an update to Soldiers In The Laboratory (published in 2005). In addition to SGR's latest findings about the power and influence of the military in science, engineering and technology (SET) in the UK and elsewhere since the previous report was written, this briefing also highlights some of the problems encountered in obtaining detailed information on military involvement in R&D despite the entry into force of the Freedom of Information Act. The report also documents the huge imbalance between government R&D funding of the military and funding to tackle ill-health, environmental degradation and poverty, and argues that a major shift in resources towards supporting social justice and environmental protection and away from the military is needed.

Soldiers in the laboratory: Military involvement in science and technology - and some alternatives, (Jan 2005), documents the power and influence of the military in science, engineering and technology (SET) in the UK over the past 15 years, and investigates whether some reallocation of the resources that the military currently devotes to weapons-related SET would contribute better to the goals of peace, social justice and environmental sustainability. You can download the Executive Summary (PDF, 140KB) or the Full Report (PDF, 559KB). The report was produced as part of the project "Understanding The Military Influence On Science And Technology" [1]

The Report has received much critical acclaim, including a review by John Avery for the Danish Peace Academy

Overview of the issues

Military technology has contributed centrally to the shaping of the world today. The economic and political dominance of the countries of the 'North' is in part the legacy of innovations in military technology in Europe and later in the USA. The power and range of military activities, as well as the perception of threats, is driven in a variety of ways by the expertise of scientists, engineers and technologists. Many engineering and other physical science departments in UK universities receive funding from the military sector. A better understanding of this situation and its impact is one of the main purposes of SGR's work in this area. The Report Soldiers in the laboratory: Military involvement in science and technology - and some alternatives (2005) documents the power and influence of the military in the governance and direction of science, engineering and technology in the UK over the past twenty years. More soldiers in the laboratory (2007) updates the arguments and presents further data about the nature of military influence, the role of the universities and how both contribute to the current UK security agenda.

In 2006 global military spending was in excess of US$1.2 trillion (£0.6 trillion) - partly stimulated by the so-called War on Terror. The UK and USA spent, in 2006, US$59 billion (£30 billion) and US$529 billion (£260 billion) respectively on their military. The USA total accounts for 45% of the global military burden. The UK is the world's second highest military spender. In terms of government military R&D spending, the USA is first in the world and the UK third. The UK spending represents one-third of the public funding for R&D - currently more than £2.6 billion (US$5.3 billion) per annum.

In addition the military corporations spend significant sums on R&D. The United States also funds research in the UK through a number of agencies.

The current security strategies pursued by the world's major countries are narrowly focused, driving high spending on the military - despite serious shortcomings of this approach - while devoting far too little attention to global problems which also cause insecurity, such as global poverty, climate change, loss of biodiversity and resource depletion. Unlike the funding of military goals these areas attract far less support and need to have significantly more sustained funding in order to better understand them and respond to their impact in appropriate ways.

The environment for research in science, engineering and technology is increasingly commercial with a plethora of partnerships and funding initiatives which frame research direction and priorities. The military sector - especially major military corporations - is involved in a number of ways here within a large number of UK universities. Our most recent Report uses case studies and data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act in order to describe military involvement across science and technology. We also show in these Reports, and in submitted articles, where scientists and engineers can play a vital role in building peace and social justice, and make a number of recommendations in light of the findings presented. Both reports are available on our Downloads page.


SGR Articles and Publications Chris Langley was commissioned to write a paper for the Economics of Peace and Security Journal on the role of the universities in the production of the means of destruction. The article has now been published as part of a symposium in the journal on British Arms. A resume of the paper can be found at the journal as access is subscription only and a full paper can be obtained from the author at <ChrisL@sgr.org.uk>: The full details are: 'Universities, the military and the means of destruction in the United Kingdom' in: The Economics of Peace and Security Journal Volume 3; Number 1 (2008). Pages 49-55 in the Symposium: British Arms Science, engineering and technology - it's a military affair - Physics Education (Phys. Educ. 41 (2006) 508-513), now available online (Subscription only) ‘Scientists or soldiers? Career choice, ethics and the military’ - SGR Issue Briefing. See here for more information about the Briefing (January 2006) Science, technology and global security, Green World online, June 2005 The real cost of military research. Interactions (Institute of Physics newsletter) p4. May 2005 [Available from Institute of Physics website, subscription only) The military funds too much science, Science and Public Affairs, March 2005 The best defence - comment and analysis, New Scientist (subscription only) 22nd January 2005		Presentations: Universities, the military and the UK's security needs, - seminar by Dr Chris Langley, Principal Researcher, Scientists for Global Responsibility, at the Power & the Academy Conference, at Manchester Metropolitan University, 6 to 8 April 2009. Summary - Presentation by Dr Chris Langley at the Student Pugwash Cambridge Seminar (March 2009) [Notes - PDF, 58KB] Soldiers in the laboratory - the militarisation of the university - Presentation by Dr Chris Langley at the Student Pugwash Cambridge Seminar (March 2009) [Notes - PDF, 58KB] Military involvement in science and technology - and some alternatives - Presentation by Dr Chris Langley in the European Parliament under the auspices of the Quaker Intergroup for Peace Initiatives (Nov 2007) [Notes - PDF, 128KB] Soldiers in the laboratory - what are the ethical issues? - Presentation to the Café Scientifique in Brighton by Dr Chris Langley, ScienceSources Consultancy (May 2006) [Notes] 'Soldiers in the laboratory: Military involvement in science & technology - and some alternatives' Held under the auspices of the Cambridge Student Pugwash Group at St John's College Cambridge. See 'Farewell to arms' by Emily Tweed for a report on the event. (March 2006) [Notes] 'Trident, technology and democracy' Panel input from Dr Stuart Parkinson, Scientists for Global Responsibility for a Demos seminar in London (March 2006) [Notes] 'The place of science, technology and engineering in the national security agenda - time for an assessment?' Kings Seminar at Kings College London (November 2005) [Notes] Presentation of the Report and its findings at Totton Sixth Form College for sixth form audience on liberal studies course (November 2005) [Notes] Short summary of work to date on the dissemination phase of the Military Influence project at SGR AGM (October 2005) [Notes] Seminar held by Pugwash Ethical Science Group at Imperial College, London - 'Soldiers in the laboratory - the involvement of the military in science and technology in the UK' (October 2005) [Notes] Conference on Science in the service of war and the responsibility of scientists. Paris, France. Presentation on the UK military partnerships: the role of science and engineering in the national security agenda (September 2005) [Notes] Ninth Annual International Conference on Economics and Security at the University of the West of England, Bristol (June 2005) [Notes] Seminar on the role of SET in the security agenda - Praxis Centre, Leeds Metropolitan University - [Notes] (May 2005) "The military dimensions of science and technology" - Lecture to students on 'Engineering in Society' undergraduate course at Lancaster University (May 2005) [Notes] Debate at the Royal Institution entitled 'Soldiers or scientists - the role of science, engineering and technology' (May 2005) [Notes] Follow-up symposium to the 1999 UNESCO World Conference on Science, held in Copenhagen (April 2005) [Notes] The symposium generated 'Teaching ethics to science and engineering students: a Report from the symposium April 2005. T B Hansen; published by the Center for the Philosophy of Nature and Science Studies at the University of Copenhagen
Other Articles and Publications Soldiers In The Laboratory - Special Report, Wista Innovation (journal of the Waterfall Institute of Technology Transfer, New Delhi) Vol 3, No 43, April 2005 Professional Engineering (Institute of Mechanical Engineers journal) (Subscription only site) 26th January 2005 Article on SGR's military influence project, The Guardian, 20th January 2005 Science lobby urges UK to divert funds from military fields Nature 433 (Subscription only) 20th January 2005

Earlier presentations and activities 2004 The Military Dimensions of Science and Technology - Lecture at Lancaster University Engineering Dept (Engineers in Society course) given by Dr Stuart Parkinson (May 2004) [Notes] Unscrambling a space career from military forces - SGR Issue Briefing. See here for more information about the Briefing (April 2004) 2003 Understanding the Military Influence on Science and Technology - Research Project July 2003-June 2004, Project Page (8th August 2003)

Notes

The project, including the dissemination phase, was funded by the Network for Social Change, a charitable Trust; INES special projects fund; Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust; The Martin Ryle Trust and individual members of SGR.
You can find some selected websites on the connections between the military and science here

Military influence on science, engineering and technology

Overview of the issues

SGR Articles and Publications

Presentations:

Other Articles and Publications

Earlier presentations and activities

2004

2003

Notes

Arms & Arms Control