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February E-Bulletin 2012

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31/01/12 Imran Khan met with the University of Birmingham

 

31/01/12 Imran Khan met with Birmingham Science Park Aston

 

30/01/12 Imran Khan attended the AMRC Annual Dinner

 

30/01/12 Beck Smith attended a NESTA event on innovation policy

 

27/01/12 Dave Hawksett met with the University of Essex

 

27/01/12 Beck Smith attended an event on the government's life sciences strategy, hosted by NESTA

 

27/01/12 Imran Khan attended a meeting on the R&D scoreboard, hosted by AAD-KTN

 

26/01/12 Imran Khan attended a Policy Lunchbox presentation on the commercialisation of science

 

26/01/12 Imran Khan met with Dr William Burns, Policy Officer with the Society for General Microbiology

 

25/01/12 Imran Khan met with Professor Mike Smith, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research & Knowledge Transfer at Sheffield Hallam University

 

24/01/12 Imran Khan attended the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee event on peer review

 

19/01/12 Imran Khan met with Louise Marston from NESTA

 

19/01/12 Imran Khan met with the editor of New Scientist

 

18/01/12 Imran Khan met with Three

 

17/01/12 CaSE held a strategy meeting of its new Board of Directors

 

17/01/12 Imran Khan met with Jonathan Webb from Science Media Centre

 

13/01/12 Imran Khan met with the with David Lynn, Director of Strategic Planning and Policy at the Wellcome Trust

 

12/01/12 CaSE attended the 'Scientists meet the Media' event, organised by the Royal Society

 

12/01/12 Imran Khan attended a conference on research misconduct, organised by the BMJ and COPE

 

09/01/12 Imran Khan and Beck Smith met with the British Library

 

09/01/12 Imran Khan met with Thales

 

04/01/12 CaSE attended a speech by the Science Minister David Willetts on 'Our hi-tech future'

 
Please forward this on to any colleagues or friends you think would be interested in supporting science and engineering.

  
CaSE Calls Heeded over Research Collaboration 
In a recent speech, Universities and Science Minister David Willetts has confirmed that the Treasury will exempt university collaboration from VAT - a long-standing aim of CaSE's campaigning.

CaSE has been clear that while universities are being increasingly asked by Government to share services such as back-office functions, libraries, or technical equipment, whenever they do so HM Treasury takes a VAT cut of 20% on the transaction, and we're pleased this has been addressed.

An Industrial Policy for Science? 
In an article in today's Times Higher Education (THE), CaSE Director Imran Khan has called on the science and engineering community to set out a renewed argument for investment.

In his piece, Imran highlights the new economic reality of 2012, in which both Labour and the Conservatives admit that financial austerity will continue beyond the next General Election. Thanks to our world-beating research base, the UK would be well-placed to benefit from an industrial agenda for science - if the political will and investment is there.

 

In order for this take place, CaSE calls on the science and engineering sector to forge a consensus and put forward a collective vision of its role in boosting the UK economy.  

Scottish Government appoints Science Minister 
The Scottish National Party has responded to calls from CaSE and others and increased the profile of science in the Scottish Government. Dr Alasdair Allan MSP has been named as Scotland's first ever Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland's Languages.

CaSE met with Mike Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education, and corresponded with First Minister Alex Salmond over this issue. We're delighted that the Scottish Government has taken on board our concerns and reacted positively.  

 

CaSE has done plenty of work in Scotland over the last year.  

Leading up to the 2011 devolved elections we wrote to the Scottish party leaders to secure  commitments on science and engineering policies, and produced a devolved policy report, Science, Engineering & the Devolved Nations 2011.


Education Campaigns 
Computing
CaSE has welcomed the Government's plans to reform computing education in schools. From September the current programme will be replaced by a flexible curriculum in computer science.

CaSE has raised the issue of computing in schools separately with Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, and Nick Gibb, the Schools Minister, and it is thanks to the efforts of some of our member organisations, such as Google and the BCS (Chartered Institute for IT), that this campaign is starting to bear fruit.

Teaching evolution in schools 

The Government has revised the model funding agreement for Free Schools, banning creationism from being taught.

 

CaSE had previously added its name to a statement on teaching evolution in school science, alongside the British Humanist Association, the Association for Science Education and the British Science Association, and we are delighted that the Government has listened to our concerns.    

   

Primary Science Quality Mark 

In light of the demise of specialist science schools, CaSE is calling for a new sector-led initiative on the Secondary Science Quality Mark; an award scheme to develop and celebrate the quality of science teaching and learning in secondary schools.

 

This move follows the success of the Primary Science Quality Mark, which received widespread support from CaSE and other organisations.  
CaSE News 69
The latest issue of CaSE News  has now been published.

 

As well as a round-up of CaSE's ongoing work, CaSE News 69 includes features on science and growth, House of Lords reform and departmental Chief Scientific Advisors, as well as guest articles from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and the Science and Technology Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of Sussex. 

New CaSE Board of Directors  
CaSE is pleased to announce the election of its new Board of Directors. Headed by the Chairman, Prof Hugh Griffiths, the Board will meet several times a year to discuss CaSE's work in campaigning for the interests of UK science and engineering.

The new Board replaces the previous Executive Committee, following CaSE's change in status to becoming a Company Limited by Guarantee. We welcome Professor Colin Blakemore, Ms Aisling Burnand MBE, Dr Tom Crick, Ms Becky Purvis, Mr Alom Shaha, Professor Sandy Steacy and Dr Chris Tyler as new members of the Board.

 

We also say goodbye to Professor Bill Banks, Dr Judith Ellis, Professor Anthony Finklestein, Mr David Hollinshead, Professor Richard Joyner, Mr Steve Robinson, and Professor Peter Saunders who are stepping down, and we thank them for all their hard work over the years.
Upcoming Activities and Events 
  • House of Lords Reform
    CaSE is planning a meeting to discuss the impact of the House of Lords reform on the level of science and engineering expertise in the upper chamber. For further details contact Beck Smith.  
  • Private Sector R&D

    In a new CaSE report we'll be asking what else politicians can do, now, to encourage more private sector investment in R&D.  We will be holding a meeting to consider the barriers to increasing investment and what can be done to remove them. For further details contact Beck Smith.    

  • Science Question Time - UK Nuclear Policy
    The next Science Question Time will be held on Thursday 15th March at the Institute of Physics, focusing on the subject of nuclear energy. For further details get in touch. 
  • 'Politics for Scientists' Event - Tuesday 13th March
    CaSE and the British Library are co-hosting an event; 'From lab bench to front bench: opportunities for scientists in policy'. Further details of the event can be found here. Please note that the event is aimed at practising scientists and engineers, rather than policy professionals, and the priority list will reflect this.
For details about further events see our policy events calendar. 
Organisational Issues
  • New Organisational Members
    We are pleased to welcome BASF, the University of Kent, and the Wellcome Trust as members.
  • Interns
    We would like to thank Dr Sophia Docherty, who has contributed to CaSE over the last three months. Sophia worked on a number of projects, including UK public spending analysis and the diversity agenda in HE.
  • Bequests
    We would like to thank the late Mr Arthur Lee and Dr Eric Reid, both of whom left bequests to CaSE in their wills.            

Upcoming consultations  


Bridging the "valley of death": improving the commercialisation of research 

House of Commons Science & Technology Committee Consultation Inquiry
Deadline: 8th February

New Liberal Democrat Science and Research Policy
Policy Consultation led by Julian Huppert MP
For more information on our activities go to our website www.sciencecampaign.org.uk
 
To contact us please telephone 0207 679 4994 or email nickh@sciencecampaign.org.uk