APPENDIX 42
Second supplementary memorandum submitted
by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE)
The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is pleased
to respond to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee
inquiry into government funding of the scientific learned societies.
The RSE is Scotland's foremost learned society and Scotland's
National Academy of Science & Letters. Although the Society
is based in Edinburgh, its 1,200 distinguished Fellows are drawn
from all parts of Scotland and beyond.
BACKGROUND TO
THE ROYAL
SOCIETY OF
EDINBURGH
Although the Royal Society of Edinburgh was
founded in 1783, under a Royal Charter granted by George III,
for the "Advancement of Learning and Useful Knowledge"
it is committed to playing its full part in helping the people
of Scotland to meet the challenges of the twenty first century.
The Society is an independent, non party-political body with charitable
status. The Society embraces all disciplines in the Sciences and
Letters, and its Fellows are elected from the full spectrum of
the sciences, medicine, engineering and technology, education,
law, the arts, humanities, social sciences, business, industry,
the professions and public service. The breadth of this range
of subjects gives the Society a multidisciplinary perspective
that makes it unique among the United Kingdom's learned societies.
The Society's mission today remains "the
Advancement of Learning and Useful Knowledge". In promoting
learning and putting the multidisciplinary expertise of its Fellows
to work for the good of Scotland, the Society has three functional
goals:
— to serve as Scotland's national academy
of science and letters—acting as a source of multidisciplinary,
independent and expert reflection on matters of public relevance,
as a catalyst for educational progress, and as a stimulator of
lifelong learning;
— to support research and innovation
in Scotland—acting in productive and effective partnership
with a number of public and private providers of funding to support
research and innovation and to sustain the excellence and usefulness
of Scotland's research base;
— to act as Scotland's premier learned
body—honouring outstanding achievement across all academic
subjects, the professions, the arts, commerce, industry and public
life.
The work of the Society has six major strands:
— independent policy analysis and advice—acting
as an independent source of authoritative advice on matters of
public relevance through a unique multidisciplinary perspective;
— communicating knowledge and understanding—communicating
knowledge in order to foster lifelong learning, providing a forum
for informed debate, engaging both the general public and specialists
and improving the perception of research and careers in the Sciences
and Letters;
— international activities—promoting
the international activities of the Society as part of Scotland's
scientific and cultural infrastructure in keeping with the international
role that Scotland increasingly seeks to play through the devolution
settlement;
— grants and awards—supporting
advanced research and postgraduate studies, using the expertise
of Fellows as a peer-review system to validate the allocations,
to sustain the excellence and usefulness of Scotland's research
base;
— commercialisation and innovation—encouraging
the commercialisation of appropriate science-based research to
fully exploit the scientific output of its universities and research
institutes to the benefit of the national economy;
— the Fellowship programme—involving
the Fellowship in the work of the Society in order to promote
learning and put the expertise of Fellows to work for the good
of Scotland.
FUNDING FROM
THE UK GOVERNMENT
The RSE has effected significant developments
in areas of strategic importance to Scotland through partnerships
with major charitable trusts, industry, government and academia.
The RSE receives £278,000 grant-in-aid from the Scottish
Executive Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department, details
of which can be found in the Forward Look 2001 of Government-funded
science, engineering and technology. The Society also runs Research
Fellowships funded by the Scottish Executive and other public,
private and charitable bodies. In this context, the RSE in partnership
with the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC),
ran in 2000 and 2001 PPARC Enterprise Fellowships across the UK,
designed to encourage the commercialisation of PPARC funded research,
with support of £179,000. These one-year Enterprise Fellowships,
developed initially by the RSE in partnership with Scottish Enterprise,
have equipped post-doctoral researchers, or younger lecturers,
with the hands-on business knowledge to enhance the commercialisation
potential of their own research. They encourage the establishment
of new start-up companies and allow young researchers to devote
time developing their research from a commercial perspective.
PPARC will be continuing to fund the RSE for their scheme in 2002-04
with a further four Fellowships with the support of an additional
£175,000. Scottish Enterprise has also recently announced
a major expansion in the number of Enterprise Fellowships to be
run by the RSE, with funding of £5.5 million for a further
80 new Enterprise Fellowships in Scotland.
THE ROLE
OF THE
LEARNED SOCIETIES
IN PROVIDING
SCIENTIFIC ADVICE
TO GOVERNMENT
AND IN
COMMUNICATING SCIENCE
TO THE
PUBLIC
The RSE recognises its growing obligations as
Scotland's national academy of science and letters, and is committed
to playing its full part in helping the people of Scotland, the
UK and society more generally to meet the challenges of the twenty
first century. A key activity of the Society, which is useful
to the public, the Scottish Parliament and the Executive, is to
act as an independent source of authoritative advice on matters
of public relevance. The expertise of the RSE's Fellows is the
foundation for bringing a multidisciplinary perspective to bear
on the formation of public policy. From April 2001 to March 2002
the RSE responded to 41 requests for comment on proposals prepared
by Government Departments, committees of inquiry, Parliamentary
committees and other bodies. The RSE also proactively undertakes
a number of independent inquiries on matters of importance to
Scotland, with recent examples including an inquiry into Foot
and Mouth Disease in Scotland, the Scientific Issues Surrounding
the Control of Infectious Salmon Anaemia in Scotland, and Encouraging
Resolution: Mediating Patient/Health Service Disputes in Scotland.
With financial support from the Scottish Executive,
the Society also ran, during 2000-01, a series of public policy
seminars to inform public policy development and decision-making.
These involved Scottish Executive, Ministers and officials, Scottish
Parliamentarians and the public, as well as practitioners in the
academic, private and voluntary sectors. They provided a platform
for open informed discussion on public policy issues on key issues
affecting Scotland's future economic, cultural and social development.
Topics included the active involvement of older people, educating
through inclusive schooling, twenty first century challenges and
changes of renewable energy, and urban transport congestion.
Another intensive activity of the Society is
communicating knowledge in order to foster lifelong learning,
providing a forum for informed debate, engaging both the general
public and specialists and improving the perception of research
and careers in the sciences and letters. The Society's Meetings
and Events Programme, together with the Young People's Programme,
are all designed to meet different aspects of these needs effectively.
In late 2001 the Scottish Executive launched
a Science Strategy for Scotland for the support and use of science
to achieve the Scottish Executive's objectives. Two of the strands
of the Strategy are to ensure the effective use of scientific
evidence in policy formation and resource allocation by government;
and to promote the awareness, appreciation and understanding of
science across society. As part of this Strategy the Executive
has decided there should be a Scottish Science Advisory Committee,
independent of the Executive and established under the auspices
of the RSE. The person appointed by the RSE to Chair the Committee
has, ex officio, become the Chief Advisor on science to
the Scottish Executive. The decision to ask the RSE to establish
this important new committee is a clear reflection of the RSE's
standing as Scotland's National Academy. This Committee will provide
advice to Scottish Executive Ministers on science strategy, policy
and priorities to allow the Scottish Executive to make effective
use of available scientific advice, knowledge and techniques in
formulating and implementing policies to support the full range
of its objectives. Specific activities will include: advise on
strategic priorities for science across the Executive's responsibilities;
provide an overview of the provision and use of science in Scotland
and advise on ways of increasing public knowledge and understanding
in relation to science and science based issues.
The Society also enjoys good relations with
UK and international academies. In terms of international activities,
the RSE hosts visits to Scotland from representatives of overseas
bodies and has developed special relationships and joint activities
with national academies overseas. This includes establishing agreements
of scientific co-operation, for example, with China, Taiwan and
Poland. The main thrust of these being to facilitate an exchange
of scientists and researchers to and from Scotland. It also organises
a two-way flow of Caledonian Research Foundation Visiting Research
Fellowships between Scotland and continental Europe.
June 2002
Annex 1
A LIST OF
EVIDENCE AND
ADVICE SUBMITTED
BY THE
RSE FROM APRIL
2001 TO MARCH
2002
| April 2001 | Review of Teaching Funding: Third Stage Consultation
Scottish Higher Education Funding Council
The European Commission's proposals in its White Paper "Strategy for a future Chemicals Policy" (COM(2001)88)
House of Lords European Union Committee
Review of Research Policy and Funding: Second Stage Consultation
Scottish Higher Education Funding Council
European Commission's Chemicals White Paper
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
The Adventitious Presence of GM seeds in the Seed of Conventional Varieties
Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department consultation
Proposed Cairngorms National Park
Scottish Natural Heritage
|
| May 2001 | Scottish Executive's Interim Response to the Findings of the Phillips Report
Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department
The Sixth Environmental Action Programme
Scottish Executive Environment Group
Devolution and the Arts, the Humanities and the Social Sciences
The Royal Society of Edinburgh and British Academy
Animals in Scientific Procedures
House of Lords Animals in Scientific Procedures inquiry
|
| June 2001 | The Forthcoming Review of the Common Fisheries Policy
Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department
Stem Cell Research
House of Lords Stem Cell Research Committee
The Nature of Scotland—A Policy Statement
Scottish Executive Environment Group
Foresight Review
Department of Trade and Industry
|
| July 2001 | Land Reform: The Draft Bill
Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department
Quinquennial Review of the Grant Awarding Research Councils
Office of Science and Technology
Review of Funding for the Voluntary Sector in Scotland
Scottish Executive Development Department
Natural Heritage Zones Programme
Scottish Natural Heritage
Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees: Second Round of Consultation
Office of Science and Technology
Protecting our Rights: A Human Rights Commission for Scotland
Scottish Executive Justice Department
|
| August 2001 | Possible Scenarios for the Uptake of GM in Agriculture
Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission
Supply of Scientists and Engineers
Sir Gareth Roberts Review of the Supply of Scientists and Engineers
|
| September 2001 | Commission Proposals on Adventitious GM Presence in Non-GM Seeds
Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department
Application of the Consultative Steering Group Principles in the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament Procedures Committee
The Future of Europe
Scottish Parliament European Committee
Developments on European Commission proposals on traceability and labelling of GMOs and food and feed products derived from them, and on genetically modified food and feed
Food Standards Agency
Research Support Libraries Group—Call for Evidence
UK Funding Councils
|
| October 2001 | European Commission Proposal to Introduce Legislation Controlling Radioactivity in Foodstuffs
Food Standards Agency (Scotland)
Inquiry into the Global Economy
House of Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs
|
| November 2001 | Scotland's freshwater fish and fisheries: Securing their future
Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department
The Public Appointments Bill
The Scottish Parliament Local Government Committee
|
| December 2001 | Review of Graduate Studies
The British Academy
|
| January 2002 | Scottish Higher Education Review
Scottish Executive Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department
Contingency Plan for the Possibility of BSE in Sheep
Scottish Executive Environment & Rural Affairs Department
Management of possible exposure to CJD through medical procedures
CJD Incidents Panel
Review of Arts and Humanities Research Funding
Department for education and skills
Labelling and tracing of Genetically Modified Food and Animal Feed
House of Lords European Union Committee
|
| February 2002 | The Long-Term Effects of Chemicals in the Environment
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
|
| March 2002 | Managing Radioactive Waste Safely
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Devolution: inter-institutional relations in the United Kingdom
House of Lords Committee on the Constitution
Topic of Royal Commission's next study
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
|
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Annex 2
A LIST OF
RESENT RSE'S
PUBLIC AND
YOUNG PEOPLE'S
EVENTS
Lectures
29 October 2001—Stateless Nations Public Lecture and
Presidential Address preceded by Annual Statutory Meeting. Followed
by Discussion Dinner for Fellows.
5 November 2001—Therapeutic Cloning And Reprogramming
In Stem Cell Research /Reproductive Cloning—Does The End
Justify The Means? Public Lecture followed by Discussion Forum.
21 November 2001- Strangers In A Strange Land? Two Centuries Of
The Irish In Scotland Regional Event at the University Of Dundee.
3 December 2001—Options And Opportunities In A Pandemic
Of Diabetes Public Lecture
6 December 2001—From RSS Discovery To Space Shuttle
Discovery: Leading The Way For Exploration Of The Space Frontier
Edinburgh Lecture At Heriot-Watt University By Dr Bonnie Dunbar,
Corr FRSE, Astronaut, Assistant Director Of University Research
& Affairs, NASA. Joint Event with Heriot-Watt University.
7 January 2002—Knowledge For Vision: Vision For Knowledge
Joint Lecture (Medawar) RSE/ Royal Society of London.
4 February 2002—Muslims, Jews And Christians In The
21st Century by HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal.
15 February 2002—Is Evolution Over? Joint Lecture—RSE/
Edinburgh Centre For Rural Research/ Institute of Biology. Speaker:
Professor J S Jones, University College London.
18 February 2002—A Tale Of Two Towers: Big Ben And
Pisa Joint Lecture -RSE/ Royal Academy of Engineering. Speaker:
Professor John Burland Freng FRS, Professor Of Soil Mechanics,
Imperial College.
4 March 2002—Regeneration Of The Forth & Clyde
And Union Canals Public Lecture (Preceded By Election Of Fellows).
Speakers: Professor Roland Paxton MBE FRSE, Department Of Civil
And Offshore Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Mr Jim Stirling,
Director Of British Waterways And Professor George Fleming FRSE,
Head Of Water And Environmental Management Division, University
Of Strathclyde. Followed by Discussion Dinner for Fellows.
27 March 2002—Sir Eric Mensforth International Gold
Medal Lecture—Technology Innovation For A New Era Joint
Lecture. Speaker: Nicolas M Donofrio, Senior Vice-President Technology
and Manufacturing, IBM Corporation. Organised by: IEE Manufacturing
Enterprise Professional Network.
Conferences, Symposia and Workshops
26 November 2001—Innovation In Scotland In The 21st
Century—Matching Knowledge And Enterprise Conference. Co-Hosted
by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, Scottish Enterprise
and Scottish Executive.
25 January 2002—The A To Z Of Oral Cancer: A Holistic
Route Oral Health Workshop.
6 February 2002—Particle Physics at the Limits Workshop.
21 February 2002 —The Future of Retailing 3: Changing
Location and Spatial Structure of Retailing Symposium.
Schools Lectures
12 March 2001—Building Bridges by Professor Miles Padgett
at Gairloch High School, nr Inverness
30 March 2001—Human Genome—the movie by Dr Wendy
Bickmore at Douglas Academy, Milnagavie, Glasgow
30 April 2001—Serpents and Synthesisers by Professor
Murray Campbell at Inverkeithing High School
12 September 2001—Human Genome—the movie by Dr
Wendy Bickmore at Cults Academy, Kinkorth Academy, as part of
TechFest
13 September 2001—Human Genome—the movie by Dr
Wendy Bickmore at Peterhead Academy and Ellon Academy, as part
of TechFest
16 October 2001—Aspects of Cancer by Professor John
Wyke at Glenalmond College, nr Perth
12 September 2001—Human Genome—the movie by Dr
Wendy Bickmore at Cults Academy, Kinkorth Academy, as part of
TechFest
13 September 2001- Human Genome—the movie by Dr Wendy
Bickmore at Peterhead Academy and Ellon Academy, as part of TechFest
16 October 2001—Aspects of Cancer by Professor John
Wyke at Glenalmond College, nr Perth
13 November 2001—Otters and Others by Professor James
Conroy at Elgin Academy
11 December 2001- Lasing Down the Internet by Professor Thomas
Krauss at Kingussie High School
11 January 2002—Bridge Building by Professor Miles
Padgett at Milburn Academy, Inverness
23 January 2002—Soap Bubbles and Membranes by Dr Ciaran
Ewins at James Young High School, Livingston
14 March 2002- Death, Drugs and Dynamite! by Dr Alan Jamieson
at Nicolson Institute, Isle of Lewis. As part of National Science
Week.
2000 Schools Christmas Lecture
4 December 2001—Dr Bonnie Dunbar, NASA Astronaut, Corr
FRSE gave the Christmas Lectures at Dumfries Academy to S1/S2
students from local schools and then to the public.
RSE Roadshow
19-21 March 2002—RSE Roadshow at Eyemouth, Berwickshire.
Supported by Science Year in Scotland and Scottish Borders Council.
Discussion Forum
18 June 2001—Mobile Phone Technology and Safety:'Good
to Talk'? At the University of Glasgow, in conjunction with the
BA and supported by the IOP and EPSRC
Primary Maths Masterclasses
10, 17, 24 November, 1 December 2001 at Dalmeny Primary School
19, 26 January 2002, 2 and 9 February 2002 at Kelvinside
Academy, Glasgow
Startup Science masterclasses- supported by Lloyds TSB Foundation
for Scotland
3, 10, 17, 24 November 2001, 20, 27 April, 4, 11 May 2002,
University of Glasgow
17, 24 Nov, 1, 8 Dec 2001, 27 April, 11, 18, 25 May 2002,
University of St Andrews
3, 10, 17, 24 November 2001, 20, 27 April, 4, 11 May 2002, Heriot-Watt
University
24 Nov, 1, 8, 15 December 2001, 20, 27 April, 11, 18 May
2002, University of Dundee
3, 17, 24 Nov, 15 December 2001, 2, 16, 23 April, 27 May
2002, Satrosphere, Aberdeen
Summer Science Camp—supported by Lloyds TSB Foundation
for Scotland
23 July-27 July 2001, Satrosphere, Aberdeen
Physics Masterclasses
29 September, 6, 13, 20 October 2001, in conjunction with
the University of Glasgow Department of Physics and Astronomy.
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