British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Experts should have a greater role in advising policy makers, say report
Government called upon to leverage the academic research base more effectively
Humanities and Social Science disciplines are not “punching their weight” in contributing to public policy making as they could and should be. That is the conclusion of a British Academy report launched today (17 September 2008) compiled by an expert working party chaired by Professor Sir Alan Wilson.
Sir Alan, a Fellow of the Academy, Chairman of the Arts and Humanities Research Council and former Vice-Chancellor of Leeds University, says in his Preface: “Our findings show that... there remains considerable scope to improve the effectiveness of public policy making through increased use of humanities and social science research.”
Attending the report’s launch, the Minister for Science and Innovation, Ian Pearson, said: “The Government is absolutely committed to ensuring academic research continues to play an integral part in forming public policy. Therefore I welcome the publication of this report and its focus on increasing the contribution of humanities and social science research.
“We will consider its recommendations alongside those of the Council for Science and Technology, which my colleague, John Denham, has asked to look more broadly at ways of improving engagement. The report is also a timely contribution to our continuing public consultation on developing a new Science and Society strategy for the UK.”
The report, entitled Punching Our Weight: the Humanities and Social Sciences in Public Policy Making, took extensive soundings from both policy makers and academics, and found both sides in agreement that a greater contribution was needed, especially as the challenges confronting policy makers are growing in complexity.
The report therefore makes 20 practical recommendations designed to improve dialogue, innovation and knowledge transfer between leading academics and policy makers in Westminster, Whitehall, the devolved administrations and town halls and other public bodies.
They include reducing the high proportion of Government research budgets allocated, contrary to the Government’s own guidelines, to short- term projects; strengthening Government departments’ peer review mechanisms to ensure they commission the highest quality research; and improving training for PHD students to meet the future needs of policy makers and other user communities.
The report also recommends that Universities take more account of public policy engagement in their criteria for academic promotion; and that Government departments set and publish targets to increase two-way secondments with Universities and research organisations.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Published:
17 September 2008
A full list of the 20 recommendations is attached, together with a link to the full report.
For further information please contact Tim Brassell, Director of External Relations at the British Academy on 020 7969 5253 (t.brassell@britac.ac.uk) or Rhys Stacker at the DIUS Press Office on 020 3300 8105 (rhys.stacker@dius.gsi.gov.uk).