Policy Lunchbox Meets to Discuss Working with the Royal Society

The second Policy Lunchbox meeting took place today at the Biochemical Society, London. Science Policy Officers met with Jack Stilgoe, Senior Policy Adviser at the Royal Society to discuss how their organisations and the Royal Society, the UK’s academy of science, can better work together.

Jack provided an outline of the new Science Policy Centre at the Society, which opened approximately six months ago and brings together the science policy teams and staff working with international networks such as the Inter Academies Panel. Alongside writing reports and setting the agenda with respect to emerging developments across science, the RS organises private briefings for political figures, facilitates workshops bringing scientists and policy-makers together and holds a monthly ‘PolicyLab’ meeting to extend networks across the science policy community.

The main focus of Jack’s presentation was on the new RS study: “The Fruits of Curiosity”. Aiming to outline why science matters to society, and how it can be made to matter even more over the next ten to twenty years, the report will be launched in Spring 2010. “The Fruits of Curiosity” offers an opportunity for the RS to reach out beyond its traditional community of Fellows and Learned Societies the opportunity to engage with the RS to a greater degree than previously. A call for information will be issued within the next two weeks.

The next Policy Lunchbox will be held on 5 August and we will be joined by Ottoline Leyser, Professor of Plant Development Genetics and Chair of the Biosciences Skills and Careers Strategy Panel. To register your interest in attending please email Rebecca.Smith@biochemistry.org.