The UK Government agency for education standards, OFSTED, has released a summary report on geography in schools, suggesting signficant uneveness in standards. Fieldwork is highlighted as a particular incentive for children pursuing geography. Passing reference to the interface with other sciences.
An interview with John Beddington on science advice, public engagement, risk and science policy. Final emphasis on climate change. Not sure that I agree with his view of media caution and chemical regulation in the environment: although it is true to say that there is a heavy emphasis on hazard derived from laboratory information, the problem with using risk effectively is that data to allow good calculation of environmental risk are difficult to obtain (although much better in the past couple of decades), particularly when thinking of the combined effects of different chemicals in the environment. The emphasis on hazard has come about not solely as a result of public attitudes - negative impacts of regulation by risk based on lab data in the past has been problematic.
The UK Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has produced a short report on school science - how many children study how much science, how teaching training and recruitment works, what facilities are like, and how much impact this has. Short report with evidence only from the government angle - but pointing to the need for various developments.
The UK government Foresight programme has just published a horizon-scanning and policy advice report on Global Food and Farming Futures. A good overview of the issues and challenges, including the interface of food production and biodiversity, in particular the potential impact of food production on ecosystem services. A knowledge gap on the ecological basis for ecosystem services is identified. Essential reading in strategic planning.
The UK House of Commons committee on Science and Technology has decided to hold an inquiry into the Forensic Science Service, which the UK government has decided to wind down. Written evidence by 14 Feburary in response to the following questions: /...
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New delivery plans for UK research councils are available. BBSRC: 10-year vision; strategic plan (2010-15); delivery plan. NERC: Strategy (2007-12); delivery plan. BGS strategy and delivery plan. Links to EPSRC, ESRC, STFC, MRC and AHRC available from via RCUK site.
A new US COMPETES Act was agreed in late December - an umbrella law that covers a wide range of scientific initiatives and coordination. There will be quite a lot of haggling to come on the money to implement some of these elements, but some reorganise existing allocations and it is an interesting expression of direction and ambition. Of specific interest is section 104 on collections which gives responsibility to OSTP and reads /.....
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SEC. 104. FEDERAL SCIENTIFIC COLLECTIONS.
(a) MANAGEMENT OF SCIENTIFIC COLLECTIONS.—The Office of Scienceand Technology Policy shall develop policies for the management and use of Federal scientific collections to improve the quality, organization, access, including online access, and long-term preservation of such collections for thebenefit of the scientific enterprise. In developing those policies the Officeof Science and Technology Policy shall consult, as appropriate, with—
(1) Federal agencies with such collections; and
(2) representatives of other organizations, institutions, and otherentities not a part of the Federal Government that have a stake in thepreservation, maintenance, and accessibility of such collections, includingState and local government agencies, institutions of higher education, museums,and other entities engaged in the acquisition, holding, management, or use ofscientific collections.
(b) CLEARINGHOUSE.—The Office of Scienceand Technology Policy, in consultation with relevant Federal agencies, shall ensure the development of an online clearinghouse for information on the contents of and access to Federal scientific collections.
(c) DISPOSAL OF COLLECTIONS.—The policies developed under subsection (a) shall—
(1) require that, before disposing of a scientific collection, a Federal agency shall—
(A) conduct a review of the research value of the collection; and
(B) consult with researchers who have used the collection, and other potentially interested parties, concerning—
(i) the collection's value for research purposes; and
(ii) possible additional educational uses for the collection; and
(2) include procedures for Federal agencies to transfer scientific collections they no longer need to researchers at institutions or other entities qualified to manage the collections.
(d) COST PROJECTIONS.—The Office of Science and Technology Policy, in consultation with relevant Federal agencies, shall develop a common set of methodologies to be used by Federal agencies for the assessment and projection of costs associated with the management and preservation of their scientific collections.
(e) SCIENTIFIC COLLECTIONDEFINED.—In this section, the term ''scientific collection'' means a set of physical specimens, living or inanimate, created for the purpose of supporting science and serving as a long-term research asset, rather than for their market value as collectibles or their historical, artistic, or cultural significance, and, as appropriate and feasible, the associated specimen data and materials.
