Professor Ruth Morgan takes part in Royal Society pairing scheme

Professor Morgan is taking part in the unique pairing scheme run by the Royal Society—the UK’s national academy of science—with support from the Government Office of Science, based at the Houses of Parliament and Whitehall for a week from 1st-5th March 2020. The Royal Society’s pairing scheme, which started in 2001, aims to build bridges between parliamentarians, civil servants and some of the best scientists in the UK. 
 
During the week Ruth will shadow Oliver Payne, the Research Infrastructures Policy Lead at BEIS and gain insights from his work into how policy is formed and how research is used to make evidence-based decisions. It will also create opportunities for BEIS to investigate the science behind policy decisions and create links to improve the department’s access to scientific evidence.

Professor Morgan said “I’m really delighted to have the chance to take part in the Royal Society’s pairing scheme. We are deeply committed to creatively and innovatively communicating the science that we are doing here at UCL so that it can be part of making a difference to complex challenges that are faced in society. The opportunity to engage with parliamentarians and civil servants who are working to create that evidence-based culture in policy, and to experience the opportunities and challenges they face to achieve that, is exciting, and I hope to bring back new insights that inform how we communicate our science even better.

Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society, said, “It is crucial that we invest in the relationship between scientists and politicians, so that either profession can articulate and appreciate the pressures confronted by both. The Royal Society Pairing Scheme does just this, endowing scientists with a fascinating insight into parliament, and connecting policymakers with the best innovative thinking in the world, and in the process, enabling both to draw from and engage with the mutual expertise needed to address the challenges of our time.”

Find out more about the Royal Society pairing scheme, as well as case studies, on the Society website.