07 August 2008
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9th June 2008 Publication of the 2008 Value Added Scoreboard

The 2008 Value Added Scoreboard was published on Monday 9 June 2008 by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). It is the seventh annual edition and highlights include:

  • The Value Added of the top 800 UK companies has increased by 9.6 per cent in the last year amounting to some £646 billion;
  • The Value Added of the top 750 European companies generated £2,027 billion and was concentrated in three countries: the UK, France and Germany;
  • Almost 23 per cent of all European ‘Value Added’ came from UK companies, more than any other country, mainly due to the UK’s strength in high value sectors such as the financial services, oil and gas, and mining.

14th December 2007  GO-Science today published the update to the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees (the Code), and the Government Response to the consultation on the Code update. The Code promotes good practice in the operation of scientific advisory committees, and addresses all aspects of a committee's work including its role and remit, responsibilities of members, Chairs and secretariats, working practices, publication of documents and public consultation.

Code of practice for scientific advisory committees PDF document (2178KB)
Consultation on the update to the code of practice for scientific advisory committees: summary of responses and Government response to consultation PDF document (255KB)

11th December 2007  The written parliamentary statement on the allocation of the Science Budget was delivered to Parliament today. The Allocations of the Science Budget 2008/09 to 2010/11 was also published. The seven Research Councils and RCUK and the National Academies published their delivery plans to coincide with the announcement.

4th December 2007   A New Strategy for DIUS Science and Innovation - Contributions Wanted!

DIUS is developing a new Science and Innovation Strategy that will be published in the Spring 2008, which will build on our current 10 year framework and the Sainsbury Review.

6th December 2007   The vision for the forthcoming UK Civil Space Strategy

22nd November 2007 New Funding for Motor Neurone disease research

Research into finding new treatments and cures for motor neurone disease will receive a £7.5m boost, Science and Innovation Minister Ian Pearson will announce today.

19th November 2007  The report by the Commission on Environmental Markets and Economic Performance (CEMEP), established by Gordon Brown as Chancellor of the Exchequer in November 2006, was published today

The report sets out the analysis that underpins the Commission’s consideration of environmental markets, the approach it recommends to developing policy, and how business should respond to its recommended framework. The Report then goes on to describe the actions that the Commissioners believe should be taken by Government, business and others to drive investment and innovation in environmental markets in the UK.

22nd October 2007 The report on Bovine Tuberculosis in cattle and badgers was published today

17th October 2007  The Tackling Obesities:Future Choices project launches its findings

The 'Tackling Obesities: Future Choices' Foresight project published its finding today. The project was an in-depth two-year study by almost 250 experts and scientists to examine the causes of obesity and map future trends to help Government plan effective policies both now and in the future.

The study found that obesity has many causes and is a much more passive phenomenon than is often assumed. Our basic biological instincts combined with our modern environment means that we're destined to put on weight. The research found that the problem of obesity will take at least 30 years to reverse.

15th October 2007  Excellence with Impact - Research Councils UK reveals the value of research to the UK

The Research Councils are generating considerable economic benefits for the UK, a new report published today by Research Councils UK has revealed. It also outlines a range of plans to further boost this impact on the UK's economy and society.

5th October 2007   Lord Sainsbury of Turville today published his Review of the UK science and innovation system.

1st October 2007  The Prime Minister today announced that Professor John Beddington, CMG, FRS, will succeed Sir David King as the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the Government Office for Science with effect from 1 January 2008.

12th September 2007  Rigour, Respect, Responsibility: A Universal Ethical Code for scientists

At the BA Festival of Science in York, Sir David King, the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser hosted a Q&A session on the code that he developed. Sir David introduced the code and outlined the progress to date and further plans for implementation of the code. The event included the experience of five different organisations – the Environment Agency, the Food Standards Agency, AstraZeneca, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Physics – followed by a Q&A session.

Sir David said
“Scientists earn their mandate to operate from the public. We want our new developments, treatments and technologies to be trusted and used. That’s why I have championed a universal ethical code for scientists to help us to further build an environment where science and scientists are recognised as a valued part of society.

 

A new information leaflet on the code was also published at the event.

 

12th September 2007 From 'intelligent' fridges to climate change - Britain looks to the future with Sciencehorizons

The results of the sciencehorizons programme, funded by the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills’ (DIUS) Sciencewise public engagement programme, were unveiled today at the BA Festival of Science in York. Sciencehorizons is funded through Sciencewise (www.sciencewise.org.uk), part of the Government’s ongoing work to gauge the public’s views about particular issues well in advance of policymaking decisions.

Minister for Science and Innovation, Ian Pearson, said:

“This public discussion represents a new, different way of talking with the public about science and technology – finding out people’s hopes, fears and ideas on a range of topics.

 

The new Sciencehorizons Report

 

Press Release: From 'intelligent' fridges to climate change - Britain looks to the future with Sciencehorizons Word document (205KB)

7th September 2007  The BA Festival of Science, 9-15 September 2007

Starting on 9 September, the 2007 Festival of Science will be visiting York, hosted by the University of York. Bringing together many of the UK’s top scientists and engineers to discuss the latest scientific developments with the public, the Festival will see many exciting events take place over the University campus, the city and surrounding areas.

The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills is one of the principal sponsors of the event.

7th August 2007    The 2007 BNSC Space Activities has just been published

Space Activities is the British National Space Centre’s annual report. It lays out what the UK has achieved in the past 12 months and what is planned for the coming year.

The report focuses on advances in space exploration, Earth observation, satellite navigation and telecommunications. It also details international collaborations and UK industry activities.

1st August 2007    RCUK Annual Review

RCUK published its first annual review on 1 August 2007. It provides an insight into the increase in the joint activities of the Research Councils since RCUK was formed 5 years ago, from collaborative multidisciplinary research programmes, training and science in society to greater harmonisation to increase collective efficiency and effectiveness.

The review features contributions from each of the seven Research Council Chief Executives, symbolising the role that each of them plays in representing the collective interests of the Councils and features highlights during the year.

31st July 2007  The Research Councils have launched their first International Strategy.

The Strategy explains how the Research Councils aim to influence the global research agenda and ensure that UK and international priorities are aligned. This new strategy will promote the movement of researchers between countries and encourage more collaboration between UK researchers and their colleagues from around the world. It plans to give our researchers the best access to data, facilities and resources and promote the UK as a world centre for research and innovation.

The UK's research community has an excellent record of working on some of the most important and innovative international research programmes in the world, from groundbreaking research on rapid climate change to the design of the world's first sustainable city. Research Councils UK is set to build on this already impressive international reach with its first International Strategy, encompassing all research disciplines. The Strategy features highlights of the many international activities in which the Research Councils are engaged

23rd July 2007

Publication of the Science and Innovation Investment Framework 2004-2014 : Annual Report 2007

The third Annual Report on the ten-year Science and Innovation Investment Framework was published today. There have been further encouraging signs of progress this year. From an already strong position the UK research base continues to improve, helped by increased investment to develop both new areas of research and a sustainable capability for the future. Key challenges remain to lift levels of business investment in R&D as a percentage of GDP and to ensure that the UK has the continued throughput of trained scientists it needs. The report highlights the most significant developments over the past year.

The latest report on progress against indicators in the ten-year framework Economic impacts of investment in research and innovation was also published.

5th July 2007    

Reforms to support for students in higher education - statement by John Denham, The Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills

 

6th June 2007   'THINK kit' competition award ceremony

The UK IPO ‘THINK kit’ competition will culminate with an awards ceremony on 20 June in the DTI conference centre where an invited audience from the world of business and education will be there to see the winners receive their prizes.

6th June 2007   Winners of THINK kit

The UK IPO drive to raise intellectual property awareness within schools has paid off with a record number of entries being submitted in this year’s Think kit “Hobby to Enterprise” competition.

6th June 2007    Wallace & Gromit

Science and Innovation Minister, Malcolm Wicks, launched ‘Cracking Ideas’ on Monday 4th June at Westbury Park Primary School, Bristol.

Cracking Ideas is a UK IPO campaign fronted by Wallace and Gromit which will show students aged 9 -11 that they can all innovate and own their ideas as well as making money from them.

4th June 2007    The Research Councils UK Business Plan Competition

The third RCUK Business Plan Competition was launched on 1 June 2007. Open to researchers from across the breadth of activity supported by the Research Councils, the competition provides researchers who have commercially viable ideas with the skills, knowledge and support needed to develop a first-rate business plan.

30th May 2007   New Chief Executive for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Science and Innovation Minister, Malcolm Wicks, today announced the appointment of Professor David Delpy, FRS FREng, as Chief Executive and Deputy Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

23rd May 2007    I P Insight 

IP Insight is a monthly e-newsletter bringing the reader the latest developments in Intellectual Property (IP) news, views from the UK Intellectual Property Office and IP professionals, IP stories in the media, and details of IP events and exhibitions.

4th Apr 2007    New chair for Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 

Science and Innovation Minister, Malcolm Wicks today announced the appointment of John Armitt as the new Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

  • UK remains second in the world, only to the USA, on most key performance indicators
  • This year, the number of key disciplines where the UK is ahead of the USA on research impact [measured by the number of citations per paper], has doubled and comprises health, biological sciences, environmental science and Mathematics.
  • UK share of high-quality papers is increasing, with 13% share of the world’s highest impact papers
  • UK is ranked second in the world in seven broad scientific disciplines – biological (2), clinical (2), environmental (2), humanities (2), maths (3), pre-clinical and health (2), social sciences (2) and business (2) and lies (3) in Maths;
  • the UK’s share of PhD awards is up to 9.4% within OECD countries;
  • UK leads in G8 on productivity ie papers published per researcher and
    effectiveness ie citations acquired per researcher;
  • UK papers that remain uncited continues to fall.

The report includes data from such sources as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Eurostat, the UN, the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and the statistics portals of individual national governments.

13th Mar 2007  RCUK release research newsletter

Today, RCUK have today released the first edition of the new "RCUK Dispatch". This newsletter collates the latest stories from across the Research Councils, highlighting the exciting developments taking place in Government-funded research today.

13th Mar 2007  The National Audit Office, (NAO), has published its report on the government's investment in large scientific facilities

The report looks at projects currently receiving funding from OSI's Large Facilities Capital Fund, (LFCF) and those earmarked to receive funding in the future. The report evaluates the strength of current processes for the identification, appraisal and prioritisation of potential investments in large scientific facilities, along with evaluating performance in delivering those facilities prioritised for support.

2nd Mar 2007  The Government's response to the House of Commons Science & Technology Select Committee's 'Scientific Advice, Risk and Evidence Based Policy Making' inquiry report has been published

On 8 November 2006 the Science and Technology Committee published its Seventh Report of
Session 2005–06, Scientific Advice, Risk and Evidence Based Policy Making [HC 900–I]. On 27 February 2007 the Committee published the Government's response to this Report. The Science and Technology Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Office of Science and Innovation and its associated public bodies.

12th Feb 2007  £800,000 project to create 'greener' air-conditioning in planes, trains and buildings

The UK Government is funding a consortium to help develop 'greener' air-conditioning systems, which are more energy efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly for planes, high-speed and underground trains and buildings.

12th Feb 2007  Government backs Aerospace Technology development

The Government is investing in a £17.4m project to provide computer technology to bring the next generation of aircraft into production in the UK. 

6th Feb 2007  Diamond Light Source welcomes its first scientific users

Diamond Light Source, the UK’s brand new synchrotron facility, opens its doors for business and welcomes its very first scientific users. Top academic teams from Durham, Oxford, Leicester and London have been selected to be the first users of one of the brightest sources of light in the world that will enable them to find out more than ever before about the secret structure of the world around us.

These principal projects were selected from a total of 127 proposals received last year from the synchrotron user community. The first users possess an extensive knowledge of synchrotron science and bring a range of research projects to Diamond from cancer research, to advancing data storage techniques, to unravelling the mysteries of the solar system. This will provide Diamond scientists with real projects to assist in the 6 month period of fine-tuning of the first experimental stations that will secure a place for Diamond on the international research stage.

29th Jan 2007 UK Space Strategy Consultation- Open until 02/04/07

The British National Space Centre’s consultation on the UK civil space strategy 2007-10 has been launched. The responses to the consultation, together with the recommendations of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee space inquiry, will inform BNSC as we draft the new space strategy. We aim to publish it by the Autumn.

Europe forges long-term strategy for space exploration

Representatives from the UK and other European political, industrial and scientific sectors, together with members of the general public are helping to shape the future direction of space exploration.

At the first in a series of stakeholder consultation workshops held in Edinburgh on the 8-9 January 2007, hosted by the European Space Agency [ESA] and the British National Space Centre [BNSC], the future strategy for ESA’s long-term exploration of the solar system and beyond was debated by the various stakeholder groups from Europe in consultation with colleagues from across the world.

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