Military involvement exposed
The Fellowship of Reconciliation and CAAT recently launched Study War No More, a research project investigating military funding of research and development within UK universities. Using raw data collected from a cross section of twenty-six universities from across the UK, the project examines the influence that military companies such as BAE Systems, QinetiQ, and Rolls Royce exert within university departments.
Through the Freedom of Information Act, the selected universities were asked what funding their departments, spin-off companies and students received from a list of specific military companies.
The data reveals that all of the twenty-six universities received funding from the military companies on the list. Many received high levels of funding for specialist areas, and particular departments; the majority going to engineering, chemistry, physics, and computer sciences. Twenty of the universities are members of the Russell Group, an association of research-intensive universities which boasts of securing ‘65 per cent (over £1.8billion) of UK universities’ research grant and contract income’ in 2004/2005.
Nottingham
At one of the universities covered, Nottingham University, the report revealed that between 2001 and 2006 the university received a minimum of around forty different contracts for research and development from military organisations across its departments. These include Nottingham’s Institute of Engineering, Surveying and Space Geodesy, School of Mathematical Sciences, Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre, and George Green Institute. These contracts are for varying time periods, and values that range from £15,000 to almost £10 million. The military organisations discussed in the report are private companies or government departments that dedicate a significant amount of their work to the design, development, production and/or selling of weapons. At the University of Nottingham, R&D funders include BAE Systems, the fourth largest arms company in the world, and the biggest within the UK. A Nottingham Unviersity physics student who has been shown the data said: ‘I was surprised by how much there was going on’ before continuing to admit ‘most of the team don’t consider it military research and certainly haven’t thought through the consequences of it in that context’.
Ongoing work
Study War No More is an analysis of a specific area in which military companies influence young people of today. It is hoped that the project will become an organic document – one that will continue to grow as the raw data is collected, thus becoming a self-updating record of military funding of research and development within UK universities.
The aim of Study War No More is to contribute to the growing awareness and concern for transparency, honesty and accountability within research and development. Acting as a direct challenge to the secrecy that has traditionally surrounded military research and development, the report challenges future generations to make informed choices about their education, and how it is provided.
With thanks to Martha Beale for her contribution to this article. For copies of the report Study War No More, contact the CAAT office on 020 7281 0297 or enquiries(at)caat·org·uk, or see the order form page of this issue of CAATnews.
Universities covered in the report
Queens University Belfast
Birmingham
University of Bristol
University of Cambridge
University of Cardiff
Cranfield University
University of Durham
University of Edinburgh
University of Glasgow
University of Hull
Imperial College London
Kings College London
University of Leeds
University of Liverpool
University of Loughborough
London School of Economics
University of Manchester
University of Nottingham
University of Oxford
University of Sheffield
University of Southampton
University of Swansea
University College London
University of Warwick
University of York
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