Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills

Strategic objectives

The Department's strategic objectives were to

• Accelerate the commercial exploitation of creativity and knowledge, through innovation and research, to create wealth, grow the economy, build successful businesses and improve quality of life.
• Improve the skills of the population throughout their working lives to create a workforce capable of sustaining economic competitiveness, and enable individuals to thrive in the global economy.
• Build social and community cohesion through improved social justice, civic participation and economic opportunity by raising aspirations and broadening participation, progression and achievement in learning and skills.
• Pursue global excellence in research and knowledge, promote the benefits of science in society, and deliver science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills in line with employer demand.
• Strengthen the capacity, quality and reputation of the Further and Higher Education systems and institutions to support national economic and social needs.
• Encourage better use of science in Government, foster public service innovation, and support other Government objectives which depend on DIUS’ expertise and remit.}} A number of education functions of the former DfES (largely those focussed on the 14 – 19 age group) were taken over by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Sponsored bodies

DIUS had responsibility for a number of Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs). These included the Research Councils:

• Medical Research Council http://www.mrc.ac.uk
• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) http://www.epsrc.ac.uk
• The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) http://www.esrc.ac.uk
• The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) http://www.ahrc.ac.uk
• The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) http://www.stfc.ac.uk
• The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) http://www.nerc.ac.uk

Other NDPBs sponsored by DIUS were:

• Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) https://web.archive.org/web/20130327000620/http://www.hefce.ac.uk/
• Student Loans Company (SLC) http://www.slc.co.uk
• The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) http://www.innovateuk.org/
• The Design Council http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/

In addition DIUS was the sponsor department for [NESTA] - the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (http://www.nesta.org.uk).

Minister and Permanent Secretary

The only Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills was John Denham MP. In a foreword to the department's White Paper, Innovation Nation, published in March 2008, Denham outlined the importance of innovation as a national commitment:

The first Permanent Secretary, Ian Watmore, moved to a new appointment, leading to the appointment of Sir Jon Shortridge who was in post a matter of nine days before the department was dissolved.

References

References

1. [http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page19525 Number10: Changes to the machinery of Government] {{webarchive. link. (2009-06-08)
2. [http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/ Research councils UK]
3. [http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.com/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmwelaf/57/5702.htm House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee - First Report] {{webarchive. link. (2012-02-25 Cross-border provision of public services for Wales: further and higher education)
4. Denham, J., ''Foreword'', in [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/238751/7345.pdf Innovation Nation], published by Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills, March 2008, accessed 20 August 2021, Crown Copyright 2008, text reproduced, acknowledged as [[Crown copyright#United Kingdom. Crown copyright]] and the title of the document specified