Policy
Biosciences and Brexit
Opinion piece by Debs Roebuck, PhD Researcher Drug Delivery Systems CASE with MedImmune at Imperial College London and former BBSRC Science Policy Fellow at the Royal Society of Biology. With membership of the European Union (EU) soon to be decided by voters in a UK in/out EU referendum, pro-and anti-EU campaigners are making their opinions … Continue reading
Actions for plant science in the UK
By Dr Sandy Knapp FRSB, head of the Plants Division of the Natural History Museum, London Plant science has a broad reach – from molecules to ecosystems, and from blue skies to near-market research and practical applications. The UKPSF was formed to bring the plant science sector together and to harness the power of our … Continue reading
Lords recommend field trial for GM insects
By Jackie Caine, policy manager at the British Ecological Society. This blog was originally posted on the British Ecological Society blog. In December, while the British Ecological Society was busy at our Annual Meeting in Edinburgh, the Lords Science and Technology Select Committee published their report on GM Insects, an inquiry to which the BES … Continue reading
Bovine TB – should we kill the badgers?
Opinion piece by Professor Nigel Brown FRSB, President of the Microbiology Society. The control of bovine TB (bTB) in farm animals is complex. We have heard a lot about the role of badgers as a reservoir of bTB, which is then transmitted to cattle. This is the argument for culling badgers and several trials have … Continue reading
Tackling the underrepresentation of women in science
By Dr Zenobia Lewis, Senior Lecturer and Co-Chair for University of Liverpool Institute of Learning and Teaching Athena SWAN Team As many in the Higher Education community are aware, the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) Athena Swan Charter has been a driving force supporting women in science in the UK for the past decade. The Charter … Continue reading
Teaching: first resort or last resort?
By Ben Connor, Policy Officer, British Ecological Society Does the UK Government have a joined up strategy for teacher recruitment and training? According to Chris Waterman, speaking at the recent Education Policy Lunchbox, the simple answer is ‘no’. Waterman, the former Executive Director of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), whose educational experience … Continue reading
SOS: Support Our Scientists – Science is still vital
By Deborah Roebuck MRSB, BBSRC policy fellow at the Royal Society of Biology. Supporters of Science rallied together at the most recent Science is Vital event, held in London and broadcast live online. Scientists and non-scientists were united in their campaign to promote awareness and highlight the critical importance of upholding a strong UK science … Continue reading
Choosing between ‘life’ or research – survey data shows the outlook is good for returners
By Dr Indrayani Ghangrekar, fellowship advisor at the Daphne Jackson Trust Currently, academic researchers in science, technology, engineering, and maths (the STEM subjects) face a life of fierce competition for grants from a limited budget resulting in anxiety about career progression. This happens despite the recognition that investing in STEM research is beneficial for the … Continue reading
Returners to Bioscience – a neglected pool of talented workers
by Gabriele Butkute, science policy assistant at the Royal Society of Biology There is a pool of talented workers that is not being fully accessed or acknowledged in our workforce – those who for one reason or another have been out of employment for some time but now wish to work again – the returners. … Continue reading
The surprising power of celebrity stories for science communication
Robin Bisson, director of Genetic Expert News Service (GENeS), discusses the powerful combination of science and celebrities. Angelina Jolie is probably the most famous person to have had a double mastectomy and reconstructive breast surgery. An interesting little study recently found that media coverage of Angelina Jolie’s decision to go under the knife increased public … Continue reading