Here are some diary dates:
This series of seminars will look at ways in which government can make more effective use of scientists and scientific advice in the context of Civil Service reform and a move towards open policy making.
It will build towards the publication of a report and a final conference in April 2013, at which keynote speakers will include Sir Mark Walport (incoming Government Chief Scientific Adviser) and Sir Bob Kerslake (Head of the Civil Service)
Scientific advice has never been in greater demand; nor has it been more contested. From climate change to cyber-security, poverty to pandemics, food technologies to fracking, the questions being asked of experts by policy makers, the media and the public continue to multiply. At the same time, in the wake of the global financial crisis and controversies such as ‘Climategate’, the same experts are under greater scrutiny.
A series of seminars looking at ways in which government can make more effective use of scientists and scientific advice to improve policymaking will begin on 20 November at the Institute for Government. The purpose of these seminars is to stimulate fresh thinking and practical recommendations on future directions in scientific advice in Whitehall, and will lead to the publication of a report and a final conference in April 2013.
The project is a shared initiative of five partners: The Institute for Government (IfG); The Alliance for Useful Evidence; The University of Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP); SPRU and the ESRC STEPS Centre at Sussex University; and Sciencewise- ERC.
For more information on each of the seminars, and to register to attend, please follow the links below.
Seminar 1: Culture clash – bridging the divide between science and policy
20 November 2012 (18:00 - 19:30 followed by drinks). Hosted by the Institute for Government at IfG.Seminar 2: Broadening the evidence base: science and social science in social policy
8 January 2013 (12:00 - 14:00 including lunch). Hosted by The Alliance of Useful Evidence at Nesta.Seminar 3: Experts, publics and open policy
15 January 2013 (16:00 - 18:00 including networking). Hosted by Sciencewise-ERC at the House of Lords.Seminar 4: Credibility across cultures: the international politics of scientific advice
6 & 7 Feburary 2013 (starting with dinner on 6 February). Hosted by the STEPS Centre and SPRU at the University of Sussex.