Research Evaluation - Whose Impact is it Anyway? June 2012

The Society of Biology and the British Library collaborated to host a TalkScience Event on the inclusion of the 'impact' of scientific research as an element of evaluation for the new Research Excellence Framework.

This panel discussion was chaired by William Cullerne Bown (Founder and Publisher of Research Fortnight) with: Professor Douglas Kell (Chief Executive of the BBSRC), Professor Nick Tyler CBE (Head of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, UCL), Professor Geraint Rees (Director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL) and Chris Hale (Deputy Director of Policy at Universities UK).

More information is available on the British Library TalkScience series.

Voice of Young Science 2012

The Society of Biology hosted a 'Standing up for Science' media workshop in collaboration with Sense About Science. The workshop was attended by 40 early career researchers, who hear from a panel of scientists who have communicated their science through the media, and learn from journalists about how they approach reporting. Dr Gia Arradottir from Rothamsted Research shared her most recent media experience following her and her colleagues' appeal to protesters to not destroy their GM wheat field trial. She was joined on the panel by Professor Malcolm Sperrin and Dr Deirdre Hollingsworth.

Dr Rebecca Nesbit, press officer at the Society of Biology, interviewed panellists to hear their tips on how to get your stories into the news, and how to prepare for interviews with journalists. Speakers included scientists, journalists and press officers, and they were all keen to work together to ensure science is reported accurately and reaches a wide audience. Listen to hear their views!

More about the Sense About Science workshops.

Workshop for Economists and Ecologists: Forging interdisciplinary links to inform public policy, May 2012

The Natural Capital Initiative organised a workshop to encourage greater interdisciplinary working and knowledge exchange between economists and ecologists, with the goal of informing public policy. The chosen case study theme was sustainable agriculture.

The workshop was chaired by Peter Costigan (Defra), keynote speakers were Professor Ian Bateman (CSERGE, University of East Anglia) and Professor William Sutherland (Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge). Professor Tim Benton (University of Leeds), Dr Salvatore Di Falco (London School of Economics), Professor Charles Godfray (University of Oxford) and Dr Paul Morling (Royal Society for Protection of Birds) were panellists in debate around the most pressing issues for agriculture in the UK.

More information on the Natural Capital Initiative.

Towards No Net Loss and Beyond

The Natural Capital Initiative ran a series of three workshops to address the most urgent challenges for the potential large scale implementation of biodiversity offsetting in the UK.

Designing a system to offset for the residual impacts of terrestrial development on ecosystem service provision, December 2010
Addressing scientific and environmental information challenges for biodiversity offsetting the UK, September 2010
Addressing practical challenges for biodiversity offsetting in the UK, June 2010

British Library TalkScience Events

The Society of Biology co-organised two TalkScience events at the British Library on biodiversity and GM crops.

Biodiversity in the 21st Century: Are we missing the target? November 2010
GM crops and food security: curing the world's growing pains? January 2010

Society of Biology Science Communications Awards, November 2010

The Society of Biology's Science Communication Award Ceremony was held on Wednesday 3rd November 2010 at Charles Darwin House, London.

Ecosystem services and the delivery of health benefits: Towards optimised health and environment planning, September 2010

The Natural Capital Initiative and the British Library hosted a workshop to discuss how health considerations can be integrated into the ecosystem approach and into planning and development decisions more broadly.

Parliamentary Links Day: Science in the New Parliament, June 2010

The Society of Biology was a co-sponsor of this year's Parliamentary Links Day on 22nd June 2010.

Society of Biology's Launch Event, March 2010

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, president of the Society of Biology welcomed 300 guests to the Society of Biology's launch event at Fishmongers' Hall, London Bridge.

Sustainable Cities, June 2009

The Natural Capital Initiative, the British Library and the Science Council held a public discussion event on the health, well-being, environment and development challenges facing 'Sustainable Cities'.

The Natural Capital Initiative Symposium, April 2009

The Natural Capital Initiative (NCI) held its first major symposium.