SUMMARY OF CST MEETING ON 02/03 March 2009
Attendees
The meeting was held in London and was chaired by John Beddington and 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.