2006 meeting summaries
Summary of CST meeting on 18/19 December 2006
Attendees
The meeting was chaired in part by Sir Keith Peters and in part by Sir David King. The other members present were:
- Professor Sir John Beringer
- Professor Geoffrey Boulton
- Professor Dame Janet Finch
- Andrew Gould
- Professor Wendy Hall
- Dr Dieter Helm
- Professor Alan Hughes (via conference call)
- Dr Sue Ion
- Sir Rob Margetts
- Sir Paul Nurse
- Dr Raj Rajagopal
- Professor Michael Sterling
- Professor Kathy Sykes
- Dr Mark Walport
Apologies were received from Dr Hermann Hauser
Also in attendance for parts of the meeting were:
- Sandy Thomas - Director of Foresight OSI
- Ian Diamond - RCUK Executive Group Chair
- Atti Emecz - Director of Operations EPSRC
- Graham Spittle - Chair TSB
- David Golding - Secretary TSB
- Sir Peter Williams - former Chair of Engineering Technology Board
- Anne Glover - Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland
Conclusions
Dinner with Alistair Darling and Malcolm Wicks
As CST is currently developing its future work programme, it was indicated that a steer from Government on what would be found useful would ensure the Council's work remains relevant. Two specific areas were flagged up:
- Strategic Focus: How can the Government focus the UK's wealth creation efforts into areas we are good at?
- Valuing other University Outputs: How to encourage and reward other activities such as engagement with business, the economy and society rather than just cutting edge research? Making the most of the UK's universities and converting the UK's excellent research base into wealth creation.
CST secretariat has written to Secretary of State's office suggesting topics that Government may welcome CST providing advice on, based upon Alistair Darling's and Malcolm Wicks's dinner discussion with CST.
CST agreed to write to the following:
- Sir Keith O'Nions on how the UK might value the contribution of non-research intensive universities, and better reward their contributions, to feed into the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review. CST endorsed the importance of valuing and rewarding a wide range of activities related to University research, development and support for innovation.
- RCUK, with CST's contribution to the consultation on Peer Review. Along with the contribution, CST informed RCUK that it is keen to be included in the ongoing development of changes to the peer review process. A meeting between CST and RCUK was proposed after the responses to the consultation have been compiled.
Ongoing work includes:
- Nanotechnology: CST is reviewing progress on actions set out in the Government's response to the Royal Society/Royal Academy of Engineering report. A draft report will be submitted to the CST meeting in March for consideration.
- Innovation: Two particular areas are currently being looked at: absorptive capacity and corporate venturing. On absorptive capacity, consultants are developing five case studies of emergent SMEs in the UK fuel cell sector.CST meeting in March 2007 will discuss their findings. On Corporate Venturing a joint approach is being explored with the CBI to explore the role it could play in providing access to finance and other resources for technology based small firms and what the role of Government could be in enhancing this.
- The Research Endeavour: CST is considering how the UK should position its research base so that it is fit for purpose in 20 years time. CST is sponsoring an FST dinner on 7 February focussing on career development for young researchers. A draft report will be submitted to the CST meeting in March for consideration.
Other items discussed included:
- CST's future agenda - Subject to further discussions with Alistair Darling, a project on valuing other university outputs in and a project on Strategic Focus will begin in March.
- CST Discussion with TSB - TSB Chair, Graham Spittle gave CST a brief update on recent TSB developments. Items discussed included TSB reform, TSB funding of R&D projects, establishing Knowledge Transfer Networks and the procurement agenda. There was agreement that it would not make sense for CST and TSB to merge (as proposed in ETB's SET and the City report). There are areas in which CST and TSB overlap and in such areas they should cooperate.
- CST discussion with Scotland's CSA - Professor Anne Glover was recently appointed as Scottish CSA for a four-year term. Areas discussed included: the decision to relocate the Scottish Science Advisory Committee to within the Scotish Executive; research pooling within Scottish Universities; CST's engagement with Scotland's First Minister. It was agreed that the secretariat would maintain links with Professor Glover's office, and consider where coordination of work could be beneficial.
The next CST meeting will be on 5/6 March 2007.
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Summary of CST meeting on 4/5 September 2006
Attendees
The meeting was chaired in part by Sir Keith Peters and in part by Sir David King. The other members present were:
- Professor Sir John Beringer
- Professor Geoffrey Boulton
- Andrew Gould, Professor Wendy Hall
- Dr Hermann Hauser
- Professor Alan Hughes (via conference call)
- Dr Sue Ion
- Dr Raj Rajagopal
- Professor Michael Sterling
- Professor Kathy Sykes
- Dr Mark Walport
Also in attendance for parts of the meeting were:
- Dr James Cutshall (DFES)
- Professor Gordon Mackerron (Chair CoRWM)
- Sue Duncan (Government Chief Social Reseracher)
Conclusions
CST agreed to write to the following:
- DFES, with CSTs formal response to the Research Assessment Exercise consultation document by the deadline of 13th October. The Government launched a consultation on its preferred option for a metric based system - results are due to be published in time for the 2006 Pre-Budget Report
- Better Regulation Executive, with CSTs formal response to the consultation on the proposed revision of the Regulatory Impact Assessment.
- Chancellor of the Exchequer on Science and Innovation Framework. A meeting between the Chancellor and CST, to discuss CSTs Innovation and Wealth Creation agenda was proposed.
Ongoing work includes:
- Innovation: This project is considering how maximum value creation can be obtained from R&D inputs, with a particular focus on: (i) innovation in the services sector (ii) barriers to growth in small and medium sized enterprises. Procurement is a key theme from both these agendas. CST has written to the PM with proposals and recommendations on Government procurement. Engagement with the Chancellor on the Innovation agenda is also being sought.
- The Research Endeavour: CST is currently considering how the UK should position its research base so that it is fit for purpose in 20 years time. There are two main components in this - the people and the structures, ie the who and the how. Work is currently being informed by a 'Young Researchers' workshop and a study by Technopolis Ltd which is reviewing available evidence, due to report at the end of September. The subgroup should have substantial proposals to submit to December CST meeting and would also be able to produce significant input into a future CST/PM meeting
- Nanotechnology Review: CST is reviewing progress on actions set out in the Government's response to the Royal Society/Royal Academy of Engineering report "Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies: opportunities and uncertainties" As part of the review, a call for evidence was published on Thursday 6th July. The deadline for submissions is Monday 2nd October. A seminar on recent developments in Nanotechnology was held on 4th September, attended by a good cross-section of interested parties.
Other items discussed included:
- Gordon Mackerron, Chair of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) was invited to discussed their recent report "Managing our radio active waste safely" The report was published following an extensive public and stakeholder engagement programme. Issues addressed included the engagements methods employed, the successes achieved and what lessons could be learnt.
- Government's Chief Social Researcher, Sue Duncan was invited to attend the CST meeting. Government Social Research service has a broad role in promoting the use of evidence in strategy, policy and delivery and leads on strategic social research issues and standards for social research in Government.
- CST is currently looking at what topics it will focus on in early 2007. Preliminary discussions have flagged up a number of areas and these will be discussed in full at the December 2006 CST meeting.
The next CST meeting will be on 18/19 December 2006.
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Summary of CST meeting on 20/21 June 2006
Attendees
The meeting was chaired in part by Sir Keith Peters and in part by Sir David King. The other members present were:
- Professor Sir John Beringer
- Professor Geoffrey Boulton
- Professor Dame Janet Finch
- Professor Wendy Hall
- Dr Hermann Hauser
- Dr Dieter Helm
- Professor Alan Hughes
- Dr Sue Ion
- Dr Rob Margetts
- Sir Paul Nurse
- Dr Raj Ragopal
- Professor Michael Sterling
- Professor Kathy Sykes
- Dr Mark Walport
Also in attendance for parts of the meeting were:
- Sally Davies, Director of Research and Development, Department of Health
- David Harper, Director of Health Protection, Department of Health
- John Neilson, Director, Science and Engineering Base Group, OST
- Jeremy Clayton, Director, Transdepartmental Science and Technology, OST
- Ashley Ibbett, Deputy Director, EU R&D Policy, OST.
Conclusions
Two new priorities for CST’s work programme were agreed and subgroups established to take the work forward:
- Scientific input to Public Health: CST will look at the use of scientific evidence in policy making across government with a specific focus on evidence relating to health impacts. The work will be taken forward by a subgroup comprising: Professor Janet Finch (convenor), Sir Keith Peters, Dr Mark Walport, Sir John Beringer.
- The research endeavour: CST is stepping back to look broadly at what is needed to keep the UK at the forefront of international research, a place where new and exciting ideas across the blue skies – applied spectrum flourish. The sub-group will be taken forward by a subgroup: Professor Wendy Hall (convenor), Professor Geoffrey Boulton, Dr Sue Ion, Sir Paul Nurse, Professor Michael Sterling, Professor Kathy Sykes.
Ongoing work includes:
- Innovation: CST is exploring what actions could be taken to increase private sector R&D spend, focussing particularly on the services sector and corporate venturing.
- Personal data: A draft report on personal data, exploring the benefits and practical issues arising from the use of personal information in electronic databases, was discussed. It was agreed that the ideas presented in the report should be tested through a process of reconvened focus groups involving members of the public and the report redrafted to take account of the findings.
- A universal ethical code for scientists: CST has started to receive responses to its consultation letter asking whether there is a role for an ethical code for scientists.The closing date is 1st November 2005.
Other items discussed included:
- CST hosted a successful meeting of the Chairs and secretaries of its EU counterparts on 16/17 June in Cambridge.
- CST is to review the government’s action on its 2000 report on Science Teachers.
- The CST annual report for 2004/2005 will be published in July 2005.
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Summary of CST meeting on 10 March 2006
Attendees
The meeting was chaired in part by Sir Keith Peters and in part by Sir David King. The other members present were:
- Professor Sir John Beringer
- Professor Geoffrey Boulton
- Professor Dame Janet Finch
- Andrew Gould
- Professor Wendy Hall
- Dr Hermann Hauser
- Dr Dieter Helm
- Professor Alan Hughes
- Dr Sue Ion
- Sir Paul Nurse
- Professor Michael Sterling
- Professor Kathy Sykes
- Dr Mark Walport
Also in attendance for parts of the meeting were:
- Rupert Lewis Head of the Horizon Scanning Unit OST/DTI
- Judy Britton, Director, Science in Government, OST/DTI
- Jeremy Clayton, Director, Transdepartmental Science and Technology, OST/DTI
Conclusions
The Council agreed:
- CST members will work with the OST Horizon Scanning Unit as they develop their working processes and test the outputs of their work.
- CST gave a cautious welcome to the government's plans to define ‘grand challenges’ facing public policy where research can play a major role in establishing the way forward. CST broadly agreed that the concept of a ‘grand challenge’ could be helpful as a rallying call to action and that climate change, demographic changes in the UK (including ageing) and data management were all suitable candidates. The first step would be for government to define some focussed questions and CST would be happy to work with government in taking the 'grand challenges' forward.
- CST discussed its future work programme:
- CST agreed that it would invite universities, learned societies and other institutions for their views on whether a universal ethical code for scientists had the potential to be useful and whether they could see a role for it within their own institutions.
- CST identified three priority areas for their future work programme, which the secretariat were asked to work up for CST's next meeting. They were: the research environment; scientific input to public health; and raising private sector investment in R&D.
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