Vacancy - CaSE Assistant Director

Central London. £28-£35k p/a pro rata. 0.7 - 1.0 FTE  

There are just a few days left to apply to become CaSE's Assistant Director. We are the UK's leading independent advocate for the science and engineering sector, and need someone who can play a leading role in our policy analysis and development, as well as engaging with high-level decision-makers and opinion-formers.

Person specification and application details are available at www.sciencecampaign.org.uk or by emailing imran@sciencecampaign.org.uk.

Deadline: 7th Aug 2011

Interviews: 16th Aug 2011

STEM Education - Primary through to Higher

Schools 

Imran Khan and Hilary Leevers met with the Schools Minister Nick Gibb in July to discuss a number of issues surrounding the government's proposed education reforms to improve science and mathematics uptake and performance.

CaSE Director Imran Khan has previously asked on the CaSE blog whether the Government's teaching proposals add up.    

CaSE has also responded to the Department for Education consultation into teacher training. 

Higher Education 

CaSE Director Imran Khan has written a recent article in Research Fortnight, warning that the Government's higher education proposals might nudge universities into prioritising arts and humanities subjects over science and engineering ones.

Imran also had a letter published in the Times Higher Education, looking to debunk the myth that science and engineering are receiving special treatment.  

CaSE has already registered its concerns about some aspects of the HE White Paper and has previously published a White Paper 'wish list'.

Goodbye to Hilary Leevers

After four years as Assistant Director, Dr Hilary Leevers is
leaving CaSE.  Hilary has brought tireless energy and drive to the organisation and we wish her all the best in her new role as the Head of Education and Learning at the Wellcome Trust. 

Writing in her final blog, Hilary looks back at her time at CaSE and comments on how the policy landscape has changed.  

Science Question Time - invitation and review

The event featured a panel of Philip Campbell (Nature), Jonathan Haskel (Imperial College), Clare Matterson (Wellcome Trust), Bob Ward (Grantham Research Institute), and was chaired by Dr James Wilsdon (Royal Society).

CaSE intern Katya-yani Vyas has written a two-part summary of the event on the CaSE blog which you can read here (part one) and here (part two). You can also listen to the event as a podcast.

You can also listen to the podcast of the second Question Time 

on STEM education, and the first Science Question Time, which discussed the state of the scientific nation.

Policy Jobs and Events

CaSE has set up a new policy jobs section on its website. Here you will find links to a variety of science policy jobs ranging from graduate entry to those that require more experience.

If you are a prospective employer and would like to advertise a vacancy here, please email info@sciencecampaign.org.uk. Postings are free of charge to CaSE member organisations and other non-profit organisations in the science policy sector. We are happy to advertise internship or work experience positions on this page.   

CaSE has also launched a new policy events calendar. If you're hosting or know of any events you'd like to add to the list, please do email us about them - the restrictions are that it should be connected to science and engineering policy in some way, and that it should not charge for entry.

Annual Review

CaSE Blog 

The CaSE blog provides ideas and analysis on science and engineering policy developments in the UK. Recent posts include: 

• The Chief Executive of the Learned Society for Wales, Dr Lynne Williams, on the state of Higher Education Tuition Fees in Wales.      

• The Chief Executive of the Association for Science Education (ASE), Annette Smith, on the need for a Primary Science Quality Mark.

• The head of Oxford Instruments (and CaSE member), Jonathan Flint, was interviewed on the BBC Today programme, regarding the subject of commercial spin-offs from academia. 

• David Walker, director of getstats, discusses the need for a statistics campaign.

• Non-EU Migrant Cap
  CaSE has welcomed the Government's announcement of an extra 1000 places for exceptionally talented immigrants, including scientists and engineers, however CaSE still has concerns over the cap.      

• Devolved Nations
  Hilary Leevers gave a presentation on CaSE's devolved election work at a recent Science Policy Lunchbox, organised by the Biochemical Society.   

• R&D Tax Credits 

  CaSE has approached its industrial members for feedback on the Government's plans for the R&D Tax Credit, as we look to submit our own response. If you would like to contribute, please do get in touch.

    
• Scientists and engineers into policy-making
  CaSE consistently encourages scientists and engineers to get directly involved in campaigning for the interests of our sector. Our intern, Katya-Yani Vyas, is currently assembling a 'how to' guide on this subject, to be published shortly.

If you wish to feed into any of the above policy areas please

get in touch.  

Upcoming Consultations 

Science as a Public Enterprise 

Royal Society

Deadline: 5th August  

Lifting barriers to women in STEM; A Strategy for Scotland 

Royal Society of Edinburgh

Deadline: 19th August   

Consultation on funding for teaching and student number allocation 

HEFCE

Deadline: 2nd September   

Consultations on Patent Box and R & D Credits 

HM Treasury Consultation

Deadline: 2nd September   

Employment related settlement, Tier 5 and overseas domestic workers 

UK Border Agency

Deadline: 9th September   

Role and function of departmental Chief Scientific Advisers  

House of Lords Science & Technology Committee

Deadline: 16th September   

VAT Cost-Sharing Exemption 

HM Treasury

Deadline: 30th September