Vanessa Spedding is the Shorts editor

Does Defra do science well? 

Sir David King, the government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, has published the findings of an investigation into how Defra uses science as part of its planning and policy-making. He commends Defra’s efforts to ensure the quality of the science, but recommends improvements in the department’s processes for commissioning and managing scientific research.

RAE gives way to metrics

University research funding allocations in England are to be assessed by a metrics-based scheme replacing the Research Assessment Exercise. The process, under development by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, will use a set of indicators to include research income, postgraduate numbers and research quality, combined with advice from experts. The first assessment exercise for SET subjects will be in 2009.

Tick, tick

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) has moved the Doomsday Clock two minutes forward so that it now reads five minutes to midnight. The clock conveys the threat to civilisation (originally from nuclear weapons). The move, said the BAS, reflects global failures to solve the problems posed by nuclear weapons and the climate crisis. See SPA article, December 2006.

Financial connections still under wraps

A study of research papers on molecular biology and genetics, published in Nature between January and June 2005, shows that some scientists are still failing to disclose their financial interests, such as patents on their research or connections with industry. The study was undertaken by GeneWatch UK, which is calling for universities and institutes to establish a public register of scientists’ interests.

Innovation needs social shifts too

The Economic and Social Research Council’s Sustainable Technologies Programme concludes that both social and technological innovation is needed for society to shift to a more sustainable path. The director of the programme, Professor Fred Steward, said: ‘We urgently need policy innovations to fill the gap between public investment in technological research and efforts to influence social behaviour.’

Europe looks at nano-prospects

‘Nanologue’, an EU-funded project looking at the social, ethical and legal implications of nanotechnology, has delivered a scenarios-based report entitled The future of nanotechnology: We need to talk and a web-based tool called the Nano-Meter. This allows researchers and product developers to analyse the societal impacts of their applications during product research and development.

All eggs in one bird-flu basket

The Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences have criticised the government for stockpiling one type of anti-viral drug in preparation for a possible Asian influenza pandemic. Recent research at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology suggests that widespread use of the drug Tamiflu could cause a serious environmental challenge. Large quantities of the drug would end up in rivers via sewage. The virus in ducks would develop Tamiflu resistance and encourage a new strain of avian flu to develop. 

PS: It’s serious

The UK Treasury has published a postscript to the Stern Report on the economics of climate change, accompanied by a Technical Annex. Together they address some of the comments made by reviewers of the report, including challenges to its models and data. Meanwhile, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has published its sobering fourth assessment, available here.