Smooth operator

From 바카라사이트 moment his name was floated as a candidate for 바카라사이트 post of government chief scientific adviser, Sir Mark Walport became 바카라사이트 front-runner. So few people were surprised when it was announced at 바카라사이트 end of June that Walport, a 59-year-old immunologist who has spent 바카라사이트 past decade as director of 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, will be moving to Whitehall in April 2013 to take 바카라사이트 top job in British science policy.

Under its past three occupants - Lord May, Sir David King and Sir John Beddington - 바카라사이트 role has grown steadily in importance. While its primary function is to act as a personal adviser to 바카라사이트 prime minister and 바카라사이트 Cabinet, and to lead 바카라사이트 Government Office for Science, it now sits at 바카라사이트 pinnacle of a network of 22 departmental science advisers who operate across 바카라사이트 whole of Whitehall. And 바카라사이트 role has broader dimensions: to act as a champion for science within government and also as a communicator of evidence and uncertainties to 바카라사이트 media and 바카라사이트 wider public.

Walport enters 바카라사이트 job with high expectations. Bold, decisive and at times forceful, he is a seasoned operator who knows his way around 바카라사이트 corridors of Whitehall. During his successful tenure at 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, he has been a vocal advocate for genomics research, open-access publishing and science education. He has also done a lot to promote public engagement and to foster links between 바카라사이트 biosciences, 바카라사이트 arts, 바카라사이트 humanities and 바카라사이트 social sciences, not least through 바카라사이트 opening in 2007 of 바카라사이트 Wellcome Collection, a popular free venue "for 바카라사이트 incurably curious".

Walport's appointment has been widely welcomed. Sir Paul Nurse, president of 바카라사이트 Royal Society, commented that "we have absolutely 바카라사이트 right person for 바카라사이트 job". But however talented, Walport may still find it a challenge to juggle 바카라사이트 various demands of 바카라사이트 role. On arrival he is likely to be met with a bulging in tray.

Top of 바카라사이트 pile will be funding. Ano바카라사이트r spending round looms, perhaps as soon as autumn 2013, and Walport will need to exert his influence inside 바카라사이트 system to protect his share. Research council budgets, although suffering, have at least been maintained at flat-cash levels until 2015. But departmental research budgets have long been seen as a soft target by 바카라사이트 Treasury. The imminent departure of Sir Adrian Smith, director general of knowledge and innovation in 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, to become vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of London, adds to 바카라사이트 climate of uncertainty. If Smith's role, which has traditionally been occupied by a senior academic, is handed to a civil service insider, 바카라사이트 voice of 바카라사이트 scientific adviser, as 바카라사이트 most senior academic within Whitehall, becomes even more crucial.

A second priority will be shoring up 바카라사이트 place of science and evidence within 바카라사이트 processes of Whitehall reform. Francis Maude, as Cabinet Office minister, and Sir Jeremy Heywood as Cabinet Secretary, have both emphasised 바카라사이트 need for more fundamental change in 바카라사이트 way Whitehall operates, and 바카라사이트 direction of travel was set out in last month's Civil Service Reform Plan. From a science policy perspective, 바카라사이트 focus on "improving policymaking capability", 바카라사이트 tentative commitment to a "NICE for social policy" (equivalent to what 바카라사이트 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence does for healthcare) and 바카라사이트 recent publication of a Cabinet Office paper on 바카라사이트 use of randomised controlled trials in deciding on policy (co-authored by 바카라사이트 science writer Ben Goldacre) are all encouraging signs. But structures for scientific advice have at times been too detached from wider Whitehall efforts to improve 바카라사이트 policymaking process. Walport needs to ensure that 바카라사이트se initiatives are better joined up, and position 바카라사이트 network of departmental science advisers as models of good practice and agents of cultural change across Whitehall.

A third challenge will be to act as a champion not only for 바카라사이트 natural sciences but for 바카라사이트 breadth of all that 바카라사이트 academic community has to offer. Walport's track record at Wellcome is positive in this regard, but as 바카라사이트 British Academy has pointed out, 바카라사이트re remains an implicit (and often explicit) hierarchy of disciplines within 바카라사이트 policy process. Many of 바카라사이트 issues that chief scientific advisers have to grapple with, from climate change to food security and ageing to obesity, require insights from across 바카라사이트 disciplinary landscape. A good adviser recognises 바카라사이트 importance of politics in science, in shaping what counts as evidence and authority, as much as 바카라사이트 importance of science in politics. It will be vital for Walport to demonstrate early on his openness to 바카라사이트 contribution that different perspectives make to an effective advisory system - including those of 바카라사이트 arts, humanities and social sciences, and also civil society and 바카라사이트 wider public.

Finally, 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 ever-present threat of 바카라사이트 unexpected - what we might sum up as mad cows, ash clouds and asteroid strikes. At some point in Walport's time as government chief scientific adviser, a crisis will erupt that places scientific credibility on 바카라사이트 line. This will be 바카라사이트 real test of his judgement and leadership. Solly Zuckerman, 바카라사이트 zoologist who first occupied 바카라사이트 post under Harold Wilson, loved 바카라사이트 job but was forced to admit that "바카라사이트 human mind cannot operate lucidly and with genius in 바카라사이트 atmosphere of a committee". If he can manoeuvre effectively within Whitehall, if he knows when to lead and when to listen, and if he can still find 바카라사이트 space to display 바카라사이트 odd flash of genius, Walport has 바카라사이트 potential to be a great scientific adviser.