| Forward Look for Science, Engineering and Technology | ||||||||
| Contents Introduction |
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INTRODUCTION  |
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| SCOPE
OF 1996 FORWARD LOOK On 21 May 1996 the Government published the third Forward Look of Government-funded Science, Engineering and Technology (SET). The 1996 Forward Look represents an important stage in the development of the strategy set out in the 1993 White Paper on Science, Engineering and Technology 'Realising our Potential' (Cm 2250), and builds on plans outlined in the 1995 document. 'Realising our Potential' aimed to improve our competitiveness and quality of life by maintaining the excellence of science, engineering and technology in the UK and by encouraging closer partnerships between the science and engineering base and industry. The full Forward Look document is in two parts this year: Volume One includes
the Statistical Supplement includes
amongst others. This extract contains The Scottish Office chapter, which sets out its strategy and expenditure. It includes a description of new Department's responsibilities for SET - this is also reflected in the table of expenditure. The full Forward Look is published by HMSO for the Cabinet Office. It is available from HMSO and its agents. The prices and ISBN numbers for the 2 Volumes are:
Enquiries about the Scottish Office's programmes should be addressed to Mr Joe Brown, |
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| The
Scottish Office Mission Statement for SET |
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To promote
the contribution of the Sciences (including research in
the social sciences, humanities and arts), Engineering
and Technology to:
The Scottish Office (SO) aims to create an environment where public and private sectors work together to improve the economic, social and environmental conditions for people living and working in Scotland. It seeks to secure, in co-operation with local authorities and others, effective delivery of responsive public service and optimum value for money for public expenditure. This mission is supported by basic, strategic and applied research, other scientific work and promotion of technology transfer. |
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| Policy Challenges and Strategy for
SET
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| The Scottish
Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) allocates funds
for research in HEIs (in 1995-96 and 1996-97 around £101
million). The HEIs have discretion in developing their
research strategies and capability supported by funds
allocated by SHEFC. Further details can be found in the
section on Higher Education Funding Councils. The Scottish Office currently commissions more than £70 million of R&D in support of the main responsibilities of the 5 functional Departments (the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department (SOAEFD); the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department (SOEID); the Scottish Office Development Department (SODD); the Scottish Office Home Department (SOHD); the Scottish Office Department of Health (SODoH)). During 1995-96 some restructuring of Scottish Office departments took place. Elements of R&D expenditure will be transferred across departments in 1996-97. |
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| Impact of Technology Foresight |
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| While
maintaining support for excellent research, whether or
not in Foresight priority areas, The Scottish Office
will, over time, as existing research projects end and
are replaced, further align spending plans with Foresight
priorities. Programmes will evolve logically. For
example, the SOAEFD programme of agricultural research
(around £49 million) already fits Foresight
recommendations to a high degree. Most of the programmes
can be categorised under animal, microvial and plant
biotechnology and cognate sciences, or in the group of
recommendations concerned with environmental research
programmes and integrated ecosystem management (ANRE
Panel). There is a modest spread of research across food
safety topics, with contributions to bioscience and novel
materials (Food and Drink Panel). The department has
attached priority to the concept of integrative biology,
and supports the work in the area of recombinant
technology and diagnostic applications of molecular
biology (Health and Life Sciences Panel). Our aim is to continue funding areas most important to the Department and Scotland, taking full account of Foresight recommendations. SHEFC's response to Foresight is detailed in its published Action Plan, 'Addressing Technology Foresight' (Reference 7). Funding mechanisms will from 1997-98 onwards take account of the outcomes from the 1996 Research Assessment Exercise, and address specific Foresight priorities deemed most relevant to Scotland. A Foresight equipment grant scheme worth £1.5 million will operate in 1996-97. |
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| The Scottish Office Education and
Industry Department |
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| SOEID-funded educational research, managed by the Research and Intelligence Unit (RIU), informs and guides policy; improves the quality of education in problem areas; facilitates the implementation of new initiatives and evaluates their effectiveness. Major programmes monitor pupil achievement and evaluate important innovations such as the implementation of 'Higher Still' and devolved school management. Current areas for contributions to policy development include work on exclusions and alternatives and part-time provision in higher education (Reference 1). The RIU continues to support the Scottish Council for Research and Education (SCRE), which promotes, supports and prosecutes educational research in Scotland. | ||||||||
| Royal Society of Edinburgh Research
Fellowships |
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| The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) administers research fellowships funded by SOEID, currently six 3-year personal research fellowships and two 1-year support fellowships. Recently revised selection criteria builds in a Foresight bias. | ||||||||
| Commercialisation | ||||||||
SOEID also
encourages the development of science-based industry by
The Department's Innovation Division provides support for Scottish companies through such schemes as SMART and SPUR for product development. It also funds an Expert Help Scheme which aims to help SMEs improve their competitiveness in the UK and internationally by assisting access to technical advice and expertise. Under the EU's SME Directive, around £4 million will be available in lowland Scotland for matched funding of technology transfer programmes. The Enterprise Network (comprising Scottish Enterprise (SE), Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the Local Enterprise Companies) is addressing the need for innovation and technology transfer both through grant support for product for process innovation and a wide range of sectoral and local initiatives (Reference 2). Scottish Enterprise is also undertaking an enquiry into how to maximise the commercialisation in Scotland of research undertaken by the Science and Engineering Base. Locate in Scotland (a joint SO/SE body) continues in its objective of attracting inward investment by companies who will develop and exploit R&D in Scotland. |
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| Public Understanding of Science |
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| SOEID will
publish a Review of Public Understanding of Science in
Scotland later this year. Financial support to the Edinburgh International Science Festival, TechFest and others will continue. |
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| The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department | ||||||||
| Agriculture
The Ministerial policy document published in December 1993, setting out priorities and plans for 1994-98, provides the framework for the Department's activities. The Department supports the Scottish biological science base and commissions mainly strategic agricultural and related research relevant to wealth creation, the quality of life and the advancement of knowledge through grant-in-aid and, increasingly, competitively awarded funding. One such project aims to identify genes encoding anti-nutritional factors which will be suitable for transfer into plants to enhance their resistance to pests, but which will have minimum impact on other organisms in the environment, on livestock fed on these plants, or for humans through the food chain. The project combines skills in molecular biology, plant sciences, nematology, nutrition, toxicology, ecology, and environmental science at two research institutes and one university, and will contribute to wealth creation and quality of life objectives. The Department's Joint Consultative Committee provides a forum for discussing the Department's plans with other relevant Government funding agencies including Research Councils. The Department will be associated with a number of new LINK programmes and will continue to commission co-ordinated research programmes which are proving to be effective. |
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FisheriesThe EU continues to emphasise the need for research and monitoring to inform decisions within the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) regarding the sustainable exploitation of finfish and shellfish stocks. There are also considerable public concerns about the impact of fishing and aquaculture on the environment and wildlife, and about environmental issues generally. SOAEFD-funded aquatic environment and fisheries (AEF) SET will continue to underpin fisheries management; the steps taken to maintain the high quality of the aquatic environment; the diagnosis and control of finfish and shellfish diseases; and the protection of the consumer from contaminants and toxins. Further, AEF SET provide a sound basis for implementing CFP obligations effectively and efficiently; for assisting the related adjustment of the Scottish fishing industry; and for rapid response to pollution and other incidents (References 3 and 4). |
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| Environment
A significant amount of environmentally-related strategic research is funded through the SOAEFD agriculture and related biological research budget. The Department's short- to medium-term priorities for environmental research relate to requirements in specific areas. Some studies concern cross-policy areas, for example, sustainable development, which is becoming an increasingly important area in SO R&D programmes. Naturally, the Department's programme of environmental research takes account of the research programme of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). |
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| Scottish
Natural Heritage |
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| Scottish
Natural Heritage is an SOAEFD-funded NDPB. Research
within SNH is entirely related to policy and management
of our national natural heritage. However, as part of a
forthcoming joint exercise to review and revise SNH's
main aims and priorities, consideration will be given to
measures which will further improve co-ordination of SO
and SNH research programmes. The aim will be to ensure
that gaps and overlaps in research are avoided and that
projects are properly directed at meeting the strategic
aims of SNH and SOAEFD. SNH spends around £1 million on research which is consistent with the four priority domains endorsed in its Research Strategy: physical aspects of natural heritage; wildlife and habitats on land, in fresh water, and in the sea; natural resource use; and the development of methodology. |
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| The Scottish Office Development
Department
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| The SET
strategy of the Development Department focuses mainly on
short to medium-term requirements for projects which meet
the needs of specific policy areas, although some concern
cross-policy areas such as sustainable development and
the impact of local government reorganisation. The
increasing importance of these areas together with a new
focus on the impact of the planning system are reflected
in current expenditure, and will subsequently guide
Departmental policy. The R&D programme takes account of the much larger, related programmes of SOAEFD and key NDPBs - Scottish Natural Heritage, and Scottish Homes (SH), and the national research programmes funded by the Department of the Environment. The improvement in the quality of life of Scotland's population is reflected throughout the programme, for example, projects which aim to improve road safety, assist the effectiveness of community involvement in local initiatives, and improve public access to planning information. |
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| Scottish
Homes
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| Scottish Homes is an NDPB funded by SODD grant-in-aid, capital receipts and rental income from its housing stock. SH spent around £3.2 million on R&D projects in 1995-96. Its research strategy document (Reference 5) describes the purpose and key aspects of future R&D activities. | ||||||||
| Economic Research Programme | ||||||||
| The Economic Advice and Statistics (EAS) Units of SOEID and SODD jointly manage a programme of applied economic research which is undertaken both to inform value for money in public expenditure and to support policy-making within the SO. The programme, which totalled some £0.4 million in 1994-95 consists of mainly ad hoc research projects undertaken by external academics or consultancy firms under the close supervision of professionals from the two EAS Units. Almost half of the research expenditure in 1994-95 was devoted to projects which were led by competitive tender, with all but 10 per cent of the remainder incurred in support of in-house research. The research programme includes projects which are joint ventures with other Departments, NDPBs or Local Authorities. | ||||||||
| The Scottish Office Home Department |
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| Criminal and Civil Law An important focus of research in this area is the promotion of value for money throughout the criminal and civil justice systems, and improving the quality and delivery of justice consistent with the Justice Charters. Social science research programmes focus on, for example, crime prevention, crime and criminal justice, and the treatment of offenders and the needs of victims. Each programme complements equivalent activities covered by the Home Office and the Lord Chancellor's Department in England and Wales. |
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| Social
Work
Current and developing policy areas for the Social Work Services Group (SWSG) include the social work aspects of initiatives such as community care policies and practices, and the efficient and effective working of social work services in the criminal justice system. Further research includes assessing the effectiveness of the children's hearing system, the development of child care and protection policy and practice, the effectiveness of social work training and evaluating the impact of the 1995 Children's Act. In developing its programme of research SWSG has links with DH, DSS, NIO and the Welsh Office and with ADSW and voluntary agencies. Longer-term research priorities are planned, and joint funding of some projects is initiated, for example, on research to look at the impact of the National Lottery on charitable giving. |
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| The Scottish Office Department of
Health
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The purpose
of the NHS in Scotland is to:
The main health and NHS-related policy aims of the NHS in Scotland are to:
A challenge facing the NHS in Scotland is the need to utilise R&D expertise in improving health and health services. Another factor is the changing demographic profile: increasing numbers of elderly people, many of them in failing health, and making extensive use of primary care and other services. The R&D programme of the Chief Scientist Office (£10 million in 1994-95) aims to develop and implement a portfolio of research reflecting these needs. The main priorities of research are set out in detail in the CSO Corporate Plan and the R&D strategy for the NHS in Scotland, published in 1993 (Reference 6). Most research is carried out in the University/Teaching Hospital environment but increasingly research skills are being disseminated more widely, to create the research infrastructure most relevant to current healthcare needs. R&D will make an important contribution to achieving the targets for better health outlined in the policy document 'Scotland's Health' (Reference 8), including the special initiatives launched on coronary heart disease, mental health, diet and primary care. |
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| International Dimension |
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| EU funding,
though only a small part of total expenditure, acts
positively in co-ordinating programmes, minimising
duplication, reinforcing specialist centres and
sustaining high quality output. Most, if not all, SO SET
activity has an international context. Accordingly, the
functional Departments take appropriate steps to
co-ordinate their work with others in the UK, the EU and
elsewhere, or require it of their research contractors. For example, SOAEFD's aquatic environment and fisheries SET forms part of a co-ordinated UK programme, the content, priorities and costs of which are reviewed in detail by the UK Fisheries Customer Group and by a UK Funders Group where MAFF, DANI, WOAD, BBSRC and NERC are also represented. Since 1992, the UK programme has been linked to other national governments' corresponding programmes through the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Other international commissions and organisations have important co-ordinating roles in other specific areas of which SOAEFD also takes account. R&D funded through the EU Framework Programme forms an increasingly important component of SOAEFD's SET programme. |
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| Improving
Efficiency and Effectiveness |
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| The SO
regularly works with other Government Departments within
a UK-wide policy framework. Individual R&D programmes
reflect this complementarity. Initiatives to extend links
are pursued through concordats, reciprocal membership of
research communities and arrangements to evaluate
research outcomes and quality. Further links with R&D
funders and the science/research base operate through the
SO S&T Unit, which co-ordinates information on
strategic interests. The SO R&D programmes are managed with full regard to the need for maximum economy, efficiency and effectiveness. Competition and other arrangements aimed at improving research quality and maximising outputs from available resources are being extended to more programmes. Details are provided in the strategy documents/annual reports for each programme. Representative examples of such developments are as follows:
Effective dissemination of research findings in an accessible form is fundamental. Means of disseminating research results are regularly reviewed, for example, information is available on the World Wide Web Internet Server on Educational Research (Reference 10), as is this Chapter of the 1996 Forward Look (Reference 11). All SO SET programmes have arrangements for demonstrating, where relevant: consultation/collaboration with users; contribution to policy, quality of life and the knowledge base; and commercial exploitation. |
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| References |
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