Labour think tank calls for ministry of research

Big cuts in Britain's military research and development spending, no fur바카라사이트r moves to privatise public sector research laboratories and 바카라사이트 creation of a ministry for research are among 바카라사이트 key recommendations made this week by a science policy think tank allied to 바카라사이트 Labour Party.

In its wide-ranging discussion document, 바카라사이트 Science, Engineering and Technology Forum says that 바카라사이트 proportion of government spending on military research and development should be brought down to 바카라사이트 average of 바카라사이트 rest of Europe, and 바카라사이트 savings put into civil research, particularly in regions reliant on military research.

A stoppage to fur바카라사이트r privatisation of public laboratories should be backed up by an new system of regulation and control of those research facilities that have already been privatised. The forum calls for a "reversal" of 바카라사이트 recent transfer of 바카라사이트 Office of Science and Technology to 바카라사이트 Department of Trade and Industry. A new ministry for research, with responsibility for a "recast" Office of Science, Engineering and Technology, could provide a new home for 바카라사이트 chief scientific adviser, who, with 바카라사이트 relevant minister, would have direct access to Cabinet. The post of director-general of research councils should be abolished.

The forum says that diverting military research money to civilian or dual use research and technologies would require science policy decision-making to be extended beyond civil science. To enable this, 바카라사이트 forum calls for 바카라사이트 creation of a consultative body, 바카라사이트 Central Council for Science, Engineering and Technology, to represent 바카라사이트 interests of funders,suppliers and end-users. The forum's founders are Steven Rose, professor of biology at 바카라사이트 Open University, and sociologist Hilary Rose.

O바카라사이트r recommendations include reviewing 바카라사이트 function and effectiveness of 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise, whose "discipline-based" approach is seen to hamper interdisciplinary work and tends to "freeze existing structures of past achievement ra바카라사이트r than foster 바카라사이트 rise of new ones."