NERC  

The UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) released The Business of the Environment in November 2013, outlining its future strategic direction.

Within a wider international context of development of thinking and policy on open access, there have been a series of UK reports and recommendations in the last year. Some of the key resources are...../

1. The Royal Society's Science as an Open Enterprise, published in June 2012, makes recommendations on an open culture in science, recognition for data analysis and communication, standards for sharing information and publishing data for reuse and related matters.
2. The Finch Report, also June 2012, which makes recommendations on data access and open access to publications - and the UK Government response.
3. RCUK published an Open Access Policy in July 2012, setting out conditions for grant holders from 1 April 2013 - and a final revised policy on 8 April 2013.  RCUK has continued to develop its policy and to clarify implications and operation.  Individual councils - such as NERC - have developed from this foundation to reflect their research enterprise.
4. The UK House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee held an inquiry in early 2013, reporting in February and making recommendations for the clarification of RCUK policy and procedure.  Both the UK Government and RCUK responded.
5. HEFCE has been consulting on open access implementation with respect to research considered within the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF)
6. The Wellcome Trust has an Open Access Policy applying CC-BY to papers published with Wellcome funds from April 2013.
7. The European Commission has been supporting a pilot exercise within FP7  - open access principles will be further developed under Horizon 2020.
8. the UK government produced an Open Data White Paper in June 2012 setting out a broad agenda for access to government data, including open access to publicly-funded research data.  The government has set up a Research Sector Transparency Board, charied by the UK science minister David Willetts, that had an initial meeting in February 2013, aiming to develop the policy agenda for the UK.
9. The US Office of Science and Technology Policy issued a memo on the development of open access for federally funded research data and publications in February 2013.  Commentary in Nature.

The UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee has published the report of its inquiry into Marine Science.  Selected conclusions and recommendations:

• the current UK Marine Science Strategy 2010-2025 should be supported by an implementation plan with clear goals and outcomes: the Marine Science Coordination Committee (MSCC) needs review and development.
• NERC needs to ensure adequate support for marine science as part of its responsibilities for national capacity
•  For Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ): use of scientific evidence; management measure; and consultation processes all need clarity, development and improvement.  The committee recommends clarification of policy goals and commitment.
•  An action plan for long-term monitoring is needed, led by the MSCC and involving the government's Chief Scientific Adviser
•  Potential for robotics and autonomous underwater vechicles for monitoring and data collection is highlighted.

The UK Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (a professional body) has completed a review of skills and needs: the report is now online.  Number of specialist skills and training gaps identified, including taxonomy and identification skills for a number of taxa, and various ecological survey and assessment techniques for these taxa.  Ties in with the earlier NERC-led review of postgraduate skills needs for the environment sector and the recent NERC review of UK Taxonomy and Systematics.

The concept of Impact is of increasing importance in UK research policy: it is an essential policy tool in the Research Councils' strategies and is under development as part of the higher education Research Excellence Framework 2014.  Traditionally very much seen in terms of bibliometrics and commercial aspects such as patents, this is rapidly broadening to include public engagement, communication, policy engagement and societal issues.  Some resources of interest:

• LSE impact of the social sciences blog and resources - including an excellent handbook
• Impact resources from BBSRC
• RCUK excellence with impact resources
• NERC pathways to impact
• the HEFCE 2010 impact pilot