https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.98.8

Give your view

UK Knowledge Landscape – please help inform future government science policy

The Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology (www.gov.uk/cst) has launched a project to better understand the UK Science Landscape (his term). The aim of this project is apparently to build a picture of the whole research landscape in the UK and to develop an evidence base to help inform future strategic decision-making.

The online ‘landscape’ tool seeks to find out more about how disciplines interact with each other; understand collaborations between researchers both nationally and internationally; how research is funded; and the identification of key infrastructure. The Society would strongly encourage all those active in physiological research to take part in this project. The online tool can be accessed directly via https://www.ukknowledgelandscape.co.uk/welcome or via a link on the Society’s policy homepage – http://www.physoc.org/policy

Sir Paul Nurse to review Research Councils

The Government has asked Sir Paul Nurse, outgoing President of the Royal Society, to review the Research Councils. The Society will seek to provide evidence to the review and would especially welcome members’ views on the following three questions: do the research councils adequately support interdisciplinary research? Are the right arrangements in place to ensure optimal funding for research that crosses disciplinary boundaries? And what are the gaps or holes in the funded portfolios of the research councils?

For further information please contact us – policy@physoc.org or visit The Society’s policy webpages.

News

Autumn Statement and Science and Innovation Strategy

In December 2014 the Chancellor presented his Autumn Statement to Parliament. There were three significant announcements from a science perspective. First, the details of how the new £5.9 billion Science Capital budget (2016-21) would be allocated were announced. A total of £3 billion would be available to ‘support individual research projects and our institutions’ world-class laboratories, and £2.9 billion for scientific Grand Challenges’. Second, the launch of postgraduate loans for under 30’s, and finally, £67 million of funding to increase the number of specialist maths and physics teachers.

Later in December the Government launched its long awaited Science and Innovation Strategy ‘Our plan for growth: Science and Innovation’. A more detailed review of the strategy can be read in news in depth.

CaSE Cross-Party Science and Engineering Debate, 14 January 2015

The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) arranged a ‘Question Time’ style debate between the science spokespeople from the three main Westminster parties, namely the Minister for Science, Greg Clarke MP, the Labour shadow minister Liam Byrne MP and Liberal Democrat MP Julian Huppert.

All three party spokespeople spoke positively about science, agreeing the need for long term, stable funding but neither Greg Clarke or Liam Byrne was willing to make any firm pledges on funding for science resource. Julian Huppert reiterated the Lib Dem pledge for inflation linked increases to both the capital and resource science budgets. The main difference between the parties was Liam Byrne again raising the possibility that Labour would introduce a graduate tax.

The Society writes to Secretary of State

The Society wrote to Eric Pickles MP, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, following his decision to review a planning appeal for a dog and ferret breeding facility. We highlighted the need for planning decisions for animal research and breeding facilities to be based on planning criteria, and not be swayed by anti-animal research groups. We have now received a response stating that the decision has been deferred until after the general election.

Interested in these or any other policy related issues? Please contact us via policy@physoc.org