A new global biosphere model has been produced as a result of collaboration between UNEP-funded scientists and Microsoft - the Madingley model - http://www.madingleymodel.org/index.html
Harfoot MBJ, Newbold T, Tittensor DP, Emmott S, Hutton J, et al. (2014) Emergent Global Patterns of Ecosystem Structure and Function from a Mechanistic General Ecosystem Model. PLoS Biol 12(4): e1001841. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001841
The UK parliament's House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has launched a new inquiry into Defra's draft National Pollinators Strategy - which in turn has arisen from a range of policy developments and discussions in recent years. Deadline for evidence 4 June.
The UK House of Commons Science and Technology committee has published a report on its inquiry into Government Horizon Scanning. This concludes that current efforts have weaknesses, citing the separation of efforts from the new Cabinet Office hub (created following the Day Review) and the established Foresight Unit in the Government Office for Science. One area of difficulty is on terminology, with horizon scanning, futures analysis, visioning and other ideas being only approximately defined and used interchangeably in some cases. External engagement is recommended as a key development to provide challenge and broader perspectives.
The UK government has responded to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee's inquiry on Women in Scientific Careers. The government response highlights various initiatives - the recent Call to Action; the Equality Challenge Unit; Athena Swan and a range of others. Much of the response points to these, to the activities of RCUK, and to the independent role of universities in deciding on initiatives to foster scientific careers for women.
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has initiated an independent review of the use of metrics in research assessment with an emphasis on four areas of interest:
a. Identifying useful metrics for research assessment.
b. How should metrics be used in research assessment?
c. ‘Gaming’ and strategic use of metrics.
d. International perspective
Deadline for submissions 30 June 2014.
