Welcome & Strategy

Some 18 months have passed since the Science for All Report and Action Plan was published. The following updates show progress to date against the Action Plan.

Updated scorecard – 26 January 2011

Action areas in progress – October 2011

If you have any comments or would like to get involved with any aspects of the plan please comment in the box below.

The Agenda and Minutes of Science for All Follow-on Group meetings are also available.

Business motivations for engaging the public published

isabel — Fri, 02 Sep 11 10:20:59 +0000

In its Action Plan, the Science for All Group committed to researching business motivations for public engagement. BIS and the Royal Academy of Engineering commissioned TNS-BMRB to conduct a study, which is published here.

Business motivations for engaging the public in science and engineering

Progress Update

marilynbooth — Fri, 05 Aug 11 13:48:55 +0000

This update focuses on a selection of new work taken forward since the group’s report was published in March 2010, and is grouped by the broad aspirational aims which the group put forward.

Other work explored by Science For All, for example the development of the Public Engagement Concordat and ongoing work by NCCPE on ethical resources for those undertaking public engagement, will equally address some of those aims.

Aim: Members of society are equipped to make well-informed judgements about the sciences, the way they are produced, and the way they are used.

The Science and Trust group has been working with the Royal Society of Arts to scope a programme of activity in this area.

Aim: Expert advice to Government should identify and characterise uncertainties; policy makers should communicate clearly actions that take account of inevitable uncertainties; efforts should be made to support public judgements about risks and uncertainties.

BIS and HSE commissioned research programme to develop practical guidance that will help Government consider the appropriate response and responsibility for public risks.

Aim: Scientific evidence (and research evidence more widely) is effectively incorporated into policy making, independent scientific advice is respected by all, and there is a commitment to openness and availability of data.

BIS has restated its commitment to the Sciencewise Expert Resource Centre for Public Dialogue to ensure that public perception is taken into account during policy development process, and to build further capacity for public dialogue within Government Departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies across the UK.

BIS and GO-Science published their Principles of Scientific Advice, and should ensure that both scientific and non-scientific staff involved in policy making are equally aware of them.

Aim: Assess the issues affecting business’ use of science, and seek to develop a plan to improve perception and practice. Create structures to promote the transparent use of science within business and industry.

As part of Public Attitudes to Science 2011, BIS have held facilitated discussions and broader survey to establish scope of the “problem” relating to business use of science.

Aim: Ethical behaviour is encouraged at all stages of exposure to science (from school through to careers) and the public has a greater appreciation of the ethical context in which scientists work, and in which science is used, produced and applied. Good ethical practice is effectively supported.

UKRIO have been assessing the availability of ethics courses in their regular survey of universities on research conduct issues and will continue to work with universities to address training provision in ethics, and monitoring of training needs.

Aim: Evaluation is recognised as a key part of the science and society landscape, and scientists, technologists and engineers work closely with social scientists and other research professionals to build on and lead good practice in evaluation methods. Resources, methods and learning are shared.

The Science and Trust Group have held three workshops to explore development of a community of interest around evaluation. A Huddle group has been established, and next steps are being assessed.

BIS supported RCUK and NCCPE to update and disseminate the RCUK “Science in Society Evaluation Guide for Project/Programme Managers”.

The British Science Association has introduced its “Collective Memory Database” to more effectively share lessons from evaluations.

Aim: Public confidence is measured on an ongoing basis, as part of wider work to understand public attitudes to science.

BIS published Public Attitudes to Science 2011 in May 2011 and has begun work to develop a deeper understanding of underlying trends within the BIS-funded series.

Public engagement for science and society – a conversational tool

isabel — Thu, 23 Sep 10 08:10:48 +0000

Public Engagement for Science and Society – a conversational tool

The Science for All report highlighted a need to ‘create a wider understanding of why, when and how the public engages with the sciences’ and included an action to ‘develop a common framework to describe types/purposes of public engagement’.

To this end, a tool has been created by the follow-on group in order to spark conversations about public engagement and help define and inspire the approaches and methods of effectively engaging the public.

You can dowload the tool here: UPDATED: Public Engagement for Science and Society – a conversational tool

Development of this tool was led by Lindsey Colbourne (Sciencewise Expert Resource Centre) for the Science for All Follow up group and we are grateful to all those who contributed to a workshop and on an earlier version online

Purpose

when promoting (public) engagement needs or benefits (matching purposes to types of engagement)
to broaden awareness (and use) of full range of (public) engagement available
to help design engagement/ clarify what type engagement is sought
undertaking a skills (or training needs) audit for individuals or organisations
in evaluating engagement, including what is being delivered against what is being promised (myth debunking)
mapping different engagement activities or volume of activity

Feedback – in practice

We would now like to invite you, as a public engagement brokers to have a go with the tool. We’d welcome your feedback on your experience of trying it and how it could be used and improved. Although this is the latest version of the tool, we hope that it will evolve and improve to better meet your needs.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions do please get in touch with us at scienceandsociety@bis.gov.uk. Alternatively you can leave comments/thoughts on the tool at the bottom of this webpage.

Comments left below up until 3 November 2010 refer to a draft version of the tool. These comments have been taken on board in the development of the final version.

NEW: Science and Trust Expert Group Report- ‘Starting a National Conversation about Good Science’

Science & Society Team — Mon, 08 Mar 10 09:48:53 +0000

Download the Science and Trust Expert Group Report (Accessible version, pdf 478 KB)

Supporting Documents

The Universal Ethical Code for Scientists and the “Crisis of Trust in Science” (Pdf)

Psychological Review of Trust (Pdf)

Ethical Dimensions of Sciencewise: A Review of public perceptions of ethical issues from the Sciencewise Dialogues (Pdf)

The Universal Ethics Code: interviews with Chairs of Scientific Advisory Councils and Pilot Institutions (Pdf)

Ethics Training in Universities (Pdf)

Summary of STEM Ambassador and GSE Surveys (Pdf)

NEW: Science for Careers Report published

Science & Society Team — Wed, 03 Mar 10 09:33:36 +0000

The Science for Careers Report was published on the 3rd March 2010. You can download the Pdf from the link below or browse in the embedded window. We welcome comments in the pane below.

Science for Careers Report (Accessible version) PDf 1.1MB

Read Group Chair Diana Garnham’s letter to the Dept for Business, Innovation and Skills on the report. (pdf 13.6 KB)

NEW: Science and Learning Expert Group Report

Science & Society Team — Thu, 25 Feb 10 09:00:08 +0000

The Science and Learning Expert Group’s report, “Science and Mathematics Secondary Education for the 21st Century”, was published on 25 February 2010. You can view the full document on-screen by scrolling down. PDF copies of the executive summary, the report and the annexes are also available below. Discuss the report here by posting a comment at the bottom of this page.

Science and Learning Expert Group Report – Executive Summary [PDF, 526KB]

Science and Learning Expert Group – Full Report (Volume 1, including Annexes A-D) [PDF, 1.8MB]

Science and Learning Expert Group – Volume 2 Annexes E-M [PDF 1.2MB]

Science for All Report and Supporting Documents

Science & Society Team — Tue, 09 Feb 10 10:16:54 +0000

The Group’s Report, Science for All, was published on 9 February 2010. It is available through the link below, along with a number of supporting documents. Discuss the report here by posting a comment at the bottom of this page.

Science for All – Final Report and Action Plan

Research commissioned by the Science for All Expert Group has fed into this report and can be downloaded below:

A review of the evidence base surrounding the value of public engagement by scientists

Aspects of science in UK culture

Public engagement map

Reward and recognition of public engagement

Informing the development of a competency framework for public engagement

Learning for change in public, educational and other science organisations: embedding greater public engagement

Organisational learning and change for public engagement

Science and the Media Report ‘Securing the Future’

Science & Society Team — Thu, 21 Jan 10 11:04:55 +0000

The Group’s Report, Science and the Media: Securing the Future , was published on 13 January 2010. It is available above, along with a number of supporting documents. Discuss the the Science & Media Report here or download Securing the Future – Science and the Media Expert Group Report (pdf 878 KB).