2009 meeting summaries
Summary of CST meeting on 09/10 December 2009
Attendees
The meeting was held in London and chaired by Sir John Beddington and Professor Dame Janet Finch. Attended by Geoffrey Boulton, Peter Davies, Paul Nurse, Raj Rajagopal, Mark Walport, Wendy Hall, Mike Sterling, Philip Ruffles, Sue Ion, Alan Hughes.
Apologies were received from Kathy Sykes and Hermann Hauser.
CST members were informed that Alan Gilbert had resigned due to personal reasons. CST was updated on a letter to the PM from Phil Willis, the Chair of the Science and Technology Committee praising the research base project, a letter from the CST Co-Chairs to Lord Drayson inviting him to be the sponsor Minister for the science and research base project. CST discussed future meetings and guests to be invited.
A presentation was made to CST on nanotechnologies and the progress towards a UK strategy on this topic.
CST were also briefed on a stakeholder workshop on the science and research base, which two members Chaired. The workshop involved a good cross section of the academic and research communities. CST then discussed the draft report; the next step was a high level dinner to be held on the same evening to gauge a response to the draft response and to make any necessary changes in the light of discussions.
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Summary of CST meeting on 14/15 September 2009
Attendees
The meeting was held in London and chaired by Sir John Beddington and Professor Dame Janet Finch. Attended by Geoffrey Boulton, Alan Hughes, Peter Davies, Paul Nurse, Wendy Hall, Hermann Hauser, Sue Ion, Raj Rajagopal, Philip Ruffles, Michael Sterling, Kathy Sykes, Philip Ruffles and Mark Walport.
Apologies were received from Alan Gilbert.
The CST report on the UK Infrastructure was launched on 25th June at a press conference; the report formed the basis of a meeting with BIS Minister Lord Davies, Mark Walport and others to discuss a way forward.
The Government had responded to CST’s report ‘Improving innovation in the water industry: 21st Century challenges and opportunities. CST Secretariat agreed to write to the Government indicating that it was happy with the Government response and that it would look forward to Ofwat taking forward many of the recommendations in the report. CST would review progress on recommendations in 2010.
CST were given a presentation on the implementation of recommendations from the report ‘How academia and Government can work together’.
CST had dinner with Lord Drayson to discuss the focus for the science and research base project. The following day, the dinner discussion was used as a basis for elaborating on various topics of the project.
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Summary of CST meeting on 17/18 June 2009
Attendees
The meeting was held in London and chaired by Sir John Beddington and Professor Dame Janet Finch. Attended by Geoffrey Boulton, Peter Davies, Alan Gilbert, Wendy Hall, Hermann Hauser, Sue Ion, Raj Rajagopal, Philip Ruffles, Michael Sterling, Kathy Sykes.
Apologies were received from Mark Walport, Alan Hughes and Paul Nurse.
CST discussed the presentation of the Infrastructure report to the Prime Minister. Amongst the recommendations that were made, three were highlighted for the meeting with the PM –
Government should decide which Department should lead on implementing the recommendations
the lead Department should be supported by a high level stakeholder group
there should be a review of the regulatory regimes to see that they are fit for purpose to deal with future challenges to the UK Infrastructure.
At dinner, CST discussed machinery of Government changes, economic stimulus, feedback from the meeting with the Prime Minister, agreed the Infrastructure report and how to publicise it, had an update on the Government’s project, ‘Science and Society’. CST also agreed that further work on nanotechnology would only be taken forward by CST after the Government publishes its strategy.
The No.10 Commissioning Board also asked CST to investigate the UK Science and Technology Base, in particular the Government’s policies designed to address strategic challenges facing the science and technology agenda over the next 10 years.
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Summary of CST meeting on 02/03 March 2009
Attendees
The meeting was held in London and was chaired by Sir John Beddington and Professor Dame Janet Finch. Attended by Paul Nurse, Keith Peters, Geoffrey Boulton, Peter Davies, Alan Gilbert, Wendy Hall, Hermann Hauser, Alan Hughes, Sue Ion, Keith Peters, Raj Rajagopal, Philip Ruffles, Michael Sterling, Mark Walport and Kathy Sykes.
Apologies were received from Alan Gilbert and Geoffrey Boulton.
CST were updated on the launch of the report ‘How Academia and Government can work together’, they were also updated on the IUSS Select Committee inquiry, health impacts workshop, reorganisation of DIUS and John Denham’s science speech to RAE.
Feedback on the draft water report and arrangements for the launch were discussed. Progress on the Infrastructure project was promising and CST agreed a way forward.
A presentation was given to CST to update members on the Foresight team’s activity,one of their major achievements was working with other Government Departments to raise the profile of the benefits of tackling obesity nationally. They were now looking at how they could influence local Government policy.
CST discussed Lord Drayson’s proposal for the prioritisation of science. Lord Drayson has put forward a distinction between support for fundamental research base and support for translation of fundamental research into social and economic benefits. CST agreed with Lord Drayson’s recommendations that the Government should maintain investment in science, maintain focus on excellence and maintain a broad base in science.
CST also discussed ways in which to sustain spending on science into UK investment and retain the best scientists and researchers. This is in the light of President Obama’s announcement for a major cash injection over a number of years into the science field which is expected to attract the UK’s best scientists to the US.
Lord Drayson was putting together information for the Economic Council recognising that it is important to invest in the next generation to be able to increase their potential to choose a career in science and join the jobs market.
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Summary of CST meeting on 30 January 2009
Attendees
The meeting was held in London and was chaired by Sir John Beddington and Professor Dame Janet Finch. The other members present were:
Alan Gilbert, Peter Davies, Wendy Hall (via teleconference), Hermann Hauser, Alan Hughes, Sue Ion (via teleconference), Paul Nurse, Keith Peters, Philip Ruffles, Michael Sterling, Kathy Sykes and Mark Walport.
Apologies were received from Raj Rajagopal, Keith Peters, Paul Nurse, Hermann Hauser, Jeremy Clayton and Geoffrey Boulton.
Project updates included arrangements for the launch of CST’s report ‘How Academia and Government can work together’ amongst others. CST also discussed the launch of Lord Drayson’s Science so what? Campaign which CST hoped would also help to increase its own profile. No. 10 officials were being consulted on the publication of CST’s review of ‘Policy through Dialogue’. Progress on the Corporate Venturing project was put before members
CST’s water innovation report was agreed at this meeting, its relation to the Cave review as also discussed in detail.
The Infrastructure project which was commissioned by the Prime Minister was also discussed in terms of arrangements for workshops and a dinner for high level guests.
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