Policy Input: Royal Society policy study: The Fruits of Curiosity: science, innovation and future sources of wealth, c/d 11 Sep 2009

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has opened a major policy study, The Fruits of Curiosity: science, innovation and future sources of wealth, that will review the landscape for UK science and innovation policy and explore its direction over the next 10-20 years. They are requesting views on some important questions, to ensure that their recommendations take account of the UK R&D community.

The study will measure the different forms of value created by science, engineering and medicine for the UK’s economy and society and will consider the role that science will play in equipping Britain to meet future economic, social and environmental challenges.

The Royal Society believes that it is timely to review these issues ahead of the forthcoming General Election and Spending Round, and to seek to influence debates about what lies beyond the current 10-Year Investment Framework for Science and Innovation.

The Royal Society believes that if the study is to realise its full potential, it is vital that they draw on insights, expertise and experience from a variety of settings, and have asked the R&D Society to encourage our members and contacts to submit their views.

The Society has listed a number of questions they would like answered in a Call for Evidence (PDF). In your submission, you may answer as many or as few of the questions listed in the call for evidence as you feel able to. Key questions of relevance to R&D Society members and contacts include:

• 1. What role should curiosity-driven research play in the UK science base in the next 15-25 years?
• 2. Which elements of policy for science and innovation over the past 10 years have been successful and should be maintained? Where is there room for improvement?
• 9. How can we make research careers – within academia or industry – a more attractive option for young people, both within the UK system and from abroad?
• 11. Does the standard career-track model need to be re-evaluated? Should we take more account of the movement of skilled individuals between academia, industry and business?
• 12. How can we strengthen science and innovation in all parts of the private sector in the UK, and further improve the exchange of knowledge and expertise between the public and private sectors?
• 13. How can we improve the scale and contribution of private sector R&D?
• 14. What initiatives (e.g. tax credits) have been successful or not with regards to supporting innovative businesses in the UK? How can the UK better support business?
• 17. What role should public sector R&D outside the ring-fenced science budget (e.g. departmental spending, government procurement and national laboratories) play in supporting the UK science base?

Submissions (ie, your answers to any of the above questions), can be made by email to: fruitsofcuriosity@royalsociety.org preferably by 11 September 2009. In your submission, you should state if you do not want your name or your submission to be made public, and give a contact name and telephone number.

R&D Society PR: Dame Wendy Hall honoured for inspiring role in UK research and development, issued 10 September 2009

Dame Wendy Hall honoured for inspiring role in UK research and development

Web pioneer and leading campaigner for women in science receives nineteenth Duncan Davies Medal from the Research and Development Society for making an outstanding contribution toward making the UK the best-performing research and development environment in the world.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall DBE FRS FREng is the recipient of the 2009 Duncan Davies Medal awarded by the Research and Development Society. Dame Wendy will accept the medal at a lecture she will give to the R&D Society on the evening of 12 October 2009 at the Royal Society, London.

The Duncan Davies Medal is awarded annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution toward making the UK the best-performing research and development environment in the world.

Dr David Kingham, Chair of the R&D Society, commented, "Dame Wendy is a leading academic researcher who is passionate about business, maintaining links and providing expertise to innovative companies large and small. Her work as a role model and advocate of fair opportunities for women in science and engineering careers is benefiting UK R&D well beyond her own subject area of web technology. She’s been an inspiration to both men and women in the UK, and we’re pleased to award Dame Wendy our highest honour."

On hearing of the award, Dame Wendy commented, “I’m deeply flattered by the offer of this award – I can’t believe the company I find myself in when I look at the list of previous recipients. I am pleased that this award recognises my commitment to attracting more women into computer science. I believe my research area of the semantic web will open up a whole new wave of businesses, applications, services and R&D processes in the future, which the UK could lead, if it takes advantage of the talents of the very best men and women. I look forward to discussing this at the R&D Society event in October.”

Dr Duncan Davies was the third President of the R&D Society, and began his presidency in 1982, shortly after retiring as Chief Scientist and Engineer at the Department of Trade and Industry. Passionately concerned about R&D in the UK, he took a very active interest in the work of the Society. His sudden demise in 1986 came as a harsh blow to the Society and to UK R&D. To acknowledge the debt that it owed to Duncan Davies's leadership, the Society decided to establish a medal in his memory. Dame Wendy joins an esteemed list of recipients including Sir David King, Sir Robin Saxby, Lord Kumar Bhattacharya, Dame Bridget Ogilvie and Lord Sainsbury.

Dame Wendy will speak on “Research 2.0: the Age of Networks” on 12 October 2009 at 6.30pm, where she will discuss the development of Web Science, the opportunities and challenges posed by the increasing need for interdisciplinary research, and how this may drive universities to radically change.

Notes for Editors

Biography: Professor Dame Wendy Hall DBE FRS FREng
Wendy Hall is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton and was Head of the School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) from 2002-2007. She has published over 400 papers in areas such as hypermedia, multimedia, digital libraries, and Web technologies.

She was Senior Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering from 2005-2008 and is a Past President of the British Computer Society (2003-2004). She is a member of the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology and a founding member of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council. In 2008 she was elected as President of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and is the first person from outside North America to hold this position.

She was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours list in 2000, and became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in the same year. She was awarded a DBE in the New Year’s Honours list in 2009, and became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2009.

A longer biography is available at http://users.ecs.soton.ac.uk/wh/

Synopsis of “Research 2.0: the Age of Networks”
Full event listing at: http://www.rdsoc.org/09L7.html

Since its inception the Web has changed the ways we communicate, collaborate, and educate. In a very short-space of time we have come to live in a web-dependent society within a web-dependent world. There is a growing realization that a clear research agenda aimed at understanding the current, evolving, and potential Web is needed. Web Science embraces the study of these phenomena. In this seminar we will consider what Web Science is, and why it is important, as well as presenting ideas about how we can study the Web as both a technical and social phenomenon. We will use this discussion to explore the opportunities and challenges posed by the increasing need for interdisciplinary research undertaken by international teams to tackle the major problems faced by the world today. Researchers are increasingly using the power of social networking tools to undertake their work.

The role of government is crucial in setting policies to create an environment in which such research can flourish but in the age of networks universities may also have to radically change in order to facilitate such exciting and necessary developments and better train people to meet the needs of businesses in the future.