As senior members of the Scottish science community, we are very concerned to note that in the current debates about possible separation of Scotland from the Union no consideration appears to have been given to the effect on Scottish science.

As senior members of the Scottish science community, we are very concerned to note that in the current debates about possible separation of Scotland from the Union no consideration appears to have been given to the effect on Scottish science.

Currently, we punch well above our weight in terms of funding from UK sources (such as the research councils) and in our role within the UK science infrastructure. Separation would inevitably lead to disruption of these ties with detrimental consequences for the health of the Scottish science base and for the long-term viability of the Scottish economy and society. Therefore, we wish to endorse the Union.

Willie Russell, Mark Ainsworth, Robin Allshire, Colin Ballantyne, Lawrence Barron, Jean Beggs, Wendy Bickmore, Ian Booth, Ian Boyd, Alistair Brown, Richard Byrne, Saveria Campo, Richard Carter, Jeff Christiansen, Stuart Cobbe, Richard Cogdell, John Coggins, David Cole-Hamilton, Patricia Connolly, Howard Cooke, Robert Crawford, Malcolm Dunlop, Geoffrey Duxbury, Richard Elliott, Alan Fairlamb, David Finnegan, Godfrey Fitton, Stephen Fry, Neil Gow, Frank Gunstone, Nicholas Hastie, William Hill, John Hillman, Martin Hooper, James Hough, John Irvine, John Kelly, Sir David Lane, David Lilley, David Littlejohn, Aubrey Manning, Duncan McGeoch, Alan Miller, Anne Magurran, Sir Kenneth Murray, Noreen Murray, Tony Nash, Jim Neil, Hugh Pennington, Wilson Sibbett, Peter Slater, Ifor Samuel, Lindsay Sawyer, Kenneth Sorbie, Colin Suckling, David Sugden, Veronica Van Heyningen, Garry Taylor, Tony Trewavas, Malcolm Walkinshaw, Colin Watts, Ian Wilmut.