Dr Georgina (George) Starling is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow joint between Prof Adrian Isaacs lab (UK DRI at UCL) and Dr Jeremy Carlton's lab at King's College London and the Francis Crick Institute. Here she tells us about her experience on the Royal Society pairing scheme which saw her travel to Westminster to experience first-hand how science and policy intersect and are used in government.
Being politically engaged and scientific minded, science policy has always been intriguing but seemingly impenetrable world to a lab-based biologist like myself. So when I saw the Royal Society's 'Week in Westminster' Pairing Scheme being advertised, I immediately knew I wanted to apply. The policy scheme has run since 2000 and recruits around 30 scientists every year and pairs them with civil servants or MPs for shadowing, talks and events in government. The idea of the scheme is to allow scientists insight into how their work and knowledge can help inform policy whilst government workers get expert advice, insight and knowledge into science research and opinions.
With over 200 applications for just 30 places, and the fact that I had only just passed the minimum postdoc experience to apply (2 years), I was prepared to not be successful but determined to try, pouring effort into my application. So when I received word in Jan that I had been shortlisted, I was thrilled and excited for my mini-sabbatical in Westminster. A whirlwind of emails, schedules and invitations later and I was heading to the Strand Palace Hotel on a Sunday in March, ladened with all the smart clothes I could scour from my wardrobe, a empty notebook and a packed schedule for the week.
Initial nerves were quickly removed by meeting the fantastic and diverse group of scientists which made up this year’s cohort who I would go on to spend a lot of time with over the week; during workshops, talks, and debriefing pub trips. I really appreciated the opportunity to meet scientists, from postdocs like myself to PI and professors, across diverse fields including climate change, astrophysics, STEM education and sustainable architecture.
Despite the broad range of fields, talking with the other scientists over the week; many faced the same problems within research. I was grateful to see many of these topics were covered by the Royal Society's 'Manifesto for Science' Policy which recommended new policies for the upcoming government which we attended the launch of at the Houses of Parliament. Many of the other scheduled events would answer my initial questions surrounding science policy, about the who, what, why and how of science policy and, throughout the week, I could see and understand the network where science and policy intersects and what roles MPs, civil servant, the Royal Society and scientists like myself play within it.
The main bulk of the week was spent with my civil service pair, Eunice, who works at the OPSS (Office for Product and Safety Standards), responsible for the regulations of most consumer goods excluding food, medicines and vehicles. If you have ever seen a product recall sign, it is probably due to this team testing and deeming it unsafe. The majority of the time was spent getting tours, having meetings and generally talking about the structural and cultural difference between academic research and government research and the policies these feed into.
