Blogs

A new Science Advisory Council has been formed by the Welsh Assembly, to meet for the first time on 1 December 2010, chaired by John Harries, the Welsh Chief Scientific Adviser.  /....

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Membership listed is:

Paul Allen, FRSA, B.Eng (Hons) - External Relations Director for Centre
for Alternative Technology (CAT), Machynlleth;

Professor Huw Beynon, D.SocSc, AcSS, Cardiff University
(retired);

Professor Simon Bradley, FRGS, Vice President TCC5, EADS Innovation
Works, Newport;

Mr Kevin Bygate, BEng, CEng, MIET, Director Business Development Tata
Steel UK Ltd;

Professor Bridget Emmett, PhD, FSB, Head of Site, Centre for Ecology
& Hydrology (NERC), Bangor and Honorary
Research Professor at Bangor
University;

Professor Sir Martin Evans, PhD, ScD, FMedSci, FRS, Nobel Laureate
President, Cardiff
University.

Professor Chris Gaskell, BVSc, PhD, DVR, MRCVS, Principal of the Royal
Agricultural College, Cirencester;

Professor Sian Hope, MPhil, MBCS, Executive Director of Innovation and
Professor of Computer Science, Director of RIVIC, Bangor University;

Dr Jim Houlihan, PhD, Head of Innovation Policy, Intellectual Property
Office, Newport;

Mr D John Jeans, CEng - Deputy Chief Executive & Chief Operating
Officer-Medical Research Council;

Professor Tavi Murray, PhD, Awarded Polar Medal by HM Queen for
"outstanding service to Polar Research”, Head of the Glaciology Group, Swansea University;

Professor Chris Pollock, CBE, MA, PhD, DSc, FRAgS, CBiol, FSB, Honorary Research
Professor at Aberystwyth
University;

Professor Ole H. Petersen, CBE, FRCP, FMedSci, FRS,  Director, School of Bioscience,
Cardiff University;

Ms Wendy Sadler, MSc, Director - Science Made Simple c/o Cardiff University;

Professor Sir John Meurig Thomas, MA, ScD, D.Univ, FRS, FREng, FRSE , Cambridge University;

Professor Ken Walters, D.Sc. FRS, Distinguished Research Professor at Aberystwyth University

Professor Robin Williams, CBE, FRS, CPhys, FInstP, Former Vice
Chancellor and Emeritus Professor, Swansea
University.

HEFCE have published a report on a research impact pilot that was conducted in preparation for the Research Excellence Framework planned for completion in 2014.  Excludes academic impacts.  Interesting methodology, such as one case study per ten staff, broader impact statements, the inclusion of public engagement and a heavy emphasis on high-level peer review in evaluating impact.  In addition to the broader science base comparisons, will be interesting to see how the thinking on public engagement develops - and what constitutes excellence in impact in this area.

The Environmental Research Funders Forum (ERFF) merged a little while ago with the Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) network.  A final product is a report on the skills needed for environmental management and policy which should be a useful reference for planning and advocacy to funders, thinking about training and HE, and consultancy planning - Most Wanted: Skills needs in the environment sector. Includes mention of taxonomy as an essential skill.

The UK Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has launched a new blog as part of a research project on public attitudes to science which will result in a report in the Spring of 2011 /....

.../ This follows up on a number of reports tracking public attitudes in the past few years and should, I hope, be the next step in the development of the policy cycle in this field.  These have been important in influencing use of public resources - both direct funding from BIS and the way in which the UK research councils, universities, science centres and museums have thought about the issues.  The earlier reports are: