April 17, 2026

expert reaction to a new report commissioned by Wellcome on public trust in science

Experts comment on a new report published by More in Common and commissioned by Wellcome Trust into public trust in science. 

Danielle Hamm, Director of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, said:

“This new research shares useful insights on where and why cracks are starting to appear in public trust of science. The accelerating pace of science, coupled with its role in UK growth ambitions, means the challenge of supporting responsible innovation is increasing and the stakes of taking public trust for granted remain high. If the past has taught us anything, it is that robust ethical insight and public engagement are fundamental to ensuring the outcomes of scientific research are beneficial to society and to securing a positive perception of science. This report, along with findings from the 2025 Public Attitudes to Science helpfully demonstrate that now is the time to heed these lessons and double down on embedding ethics in decision-making.”

Dr Alicia Greated, Executive Director, Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE):

“This report is a timely and welcome addition to our understanding of whether, how, and why the public trust science. It is positive that science and scientists remain well trusted, but the finding that this view is not held uniformly emphasises that we must not take trust for granted.

“Science does not exist in a vacuum, and in an increasingly polarised world it is vital that those working in R&D actively engage people from all parts of society, listening to and respecting their perspectives. 

“The findings mirror many of those in CaSE’s own public opinion research. CaSE has found that public support for R&D is broad but shallow, and many do not see or feel the benefits of it in their own lives.

“Making research more human, more tangible and more local will help foster trust and strengthen the relationship between the research community and the public.”

‘Britain talks trust in science’ will be published by More in Common at 00:01 UK time on Friday 17^th April, which is when the embargo will lift.

Declared interests

The nature of this story means everyone quoted above could be perceived to have a stake in it. As such, our policy is not to ask for interests to be declared – instead, they are implicit in each person’s affiliation.