- Science policy ×
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The biggest ever bird flu outbreak: what you need to know
October 18, 2022
In this episode of Microbe Talk, Charlotte talks to Dr Ian Brown about what makes this year’s bird flu outbreak bigger and more worrisome than before.
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Foreign aid cuts: now is not the time to step back
May 17, 2021
The UK is facing severe financial pressures because of COVID-19 and its impact on the economy. As a result, the UK government has decided to reduce the funds available for Official Development Assistance (ODA), which includes research projects funded via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) from the ODA budget. In this blog, Eva Scholtus discusses the impact of these cuts.
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‘A Sustainable Future’ online focus groups
February 11, 2021
In June and July 2020, as part of the ‘A Sustainable Future’ project, the Policy team ran a series of online focus groups to explore the challenges and opportunities for microbiology in the fields of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the circular economy and soil health. Over the course of three weeks, the online focus groups collectively brought together 105 people including microbiologists, non-microbiology researchers, industry and policy representatives, who discussed what more could be done if there were fewer barriers, and the interventions needed to achieve a sustainable future. Here, early-career researchers Laura and Quentin discuss their experience of the focus groups.
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The Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum
July 20, 2020
On the 23 June, Hannah Norman, Policy Officer at the Microbiology Society, virtually attended the Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum. This event involved a discussion from policy makers and stakeholders on the future of UK agricultural policy. Here, Hannah discusses the experience.
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The 2020 Policy Forum for Wales
May 21, 2020
In April, Lauren Kerr, PhD candidate at Cardiff University virtually attended the Policy Forum for Wales. The event discussed how Welsh policy-makers aim to attract and retain a strong workforce, and the role research plays in this. Here, Lauren discusses the event.
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The UK’s AMR strategy and coordinating a global response
April 14, 2020
The Westminster Health Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance took place on Thursday 20 February 2020 at Glaziers Hall, London – a month before the country went on lockdown due to the infectious disease SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. The event was run by the Westminster Health Forum. Dr Tina Joshi was invited to attend as a member of the Microbiology Society Policy Committee, member of the Science Committee of Antibiotic Research UK, and on behalf of the University of Plymouth, where she lectures their future NHS biomedical scientists and healthcare staff on clinical microbiology (particularly on the impact of antimicrobial resistance).
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The Science Policy Workshop for Microbiologists
February 13, 2020
Last year Joanne Kite, PhD student at the University of Surrey, attended the Science Policy Workshop jointly run by the Microbiology Society and the Society for Applied Microbiology. The workshop discussed how scientists can influence government policies and how to communicate with policymakers. Here, Joanne discusses her experience of the event.
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STEM Education and Skills at Westminster
August 14, 2019
On 8 July, Rachel Exley attended her first Parliamentary and Scientific Committee discussion meeting, at Portcullis House in Westminster. The title of the meeting was 'STEM education and skills' and provided a forum for discussion between Members of Parliament and representatives of scientific bodies, industry and academia on how to inspire and engage young people in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects in order to address the skills shortage in the future UK workforce. The focus was particularly on engineering, and members of a diverse panel of speakers were invited to share their perspectives. I attended the meeting to gather information and identify ways the Microbiology Society might contribute to this agenda.
