Science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) are important for the UK’s economic future. How can the routes through education and into STEM be improved?
Find out more in the POST research briefing: UK STEM skills pipeline
Science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) are important for the UK’s economic future. How can the routes through education and into STEM be improved?
Find out more in the POST research briefing: UK STEM skills pipeline
The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology is a valuable resource for MPs and researchers.
Their website describes the work they do as follows:
What we do
The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) is a research and knowledge exchange service based in the UK Parliament. It works to ensure that the best available research evidence and information is brought to bear on the legislative process and scrutiny of Government. It primarily supports the select committees of both Houses.
POST:
Latest briefings include: automated vehicles; reducing plastic waste; What is the metaverse and what impacts will it have for society; food waste; Health impacts of ultra-processed foods; and Mental Health Act reform – impacts on autistic people and people with a learning disability.
To find out more about POST and to access it’s research briefings, please go to its website:
A Mini Masterclass for Members of Parliament
From the University of St. Andrews:
We understand that for many MPs, and special advisors, there is a huge demand on your time and, no matter your own pre-existing expertise, a need to quickly obtain even more knowledge in multiple areas.
We can help with one aspect of this. At the University we have a commitment to public engagement and service. We invite you to a free, one hour seminar designed to equip MPs and/or their staff on the most important aspects of evidence based medicine. This will cover:
This will be online. Members of staff are welcome.
Conversations with previously elected representatives suggest this information would have been useful, however if you wish other areas covered we would be happy to discuss, including if an in-person seminar is preferred or these times are not suitable.
We have expertise in public health, early diagnosis, screening and risk communication. Dr McCartney is an academic at the School of Medicine and also writes and broadcasts about evidence based medicine, and Professor Donnelly is Director of the Mackenzie Institute for Early Diagnosis.
We are offering this seminar to all MPs and advisors at:
To register, please email Dr. Margaret McCartney with your details.
POST – the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology – is presenting regional training sessions for researchers to learn how the UK Parliament works and ways to engage with Parliament using research, with a particular focus on framing and communicating your research in a policy context.
What does the training cover?
This training gives an overview of the UK Parliament and covers ways to work with the institution including details on Select Committees, legislative scrutiny, the House of Commons and House of Lords libraries, and POST. It also includes sessions on identifying how your research relates to policy, and communicating your research at Parliament.
How is the training delivered?
Sessions are delivered by officials from POST and Select Committees. The training is interactive and practical. You will leave with an action plan, plenty of resources and the chance to join our alumni network to receive further opportunities and support from Parliament. Refreshments and lunch are included.
Who should attend?
This event is aimed at academic researchers as well as those working in policy brokerage/research impact roles.
What will I learn?
As a result of the training you will:
What does it cost?
There is an attendance fee of £40, including VAT. If this fee is a barrier to your attendance, please contact us; we may make exceptions in some circumstances.
More information can be found at www.parliament.uk/academic-training
POST provides balanced and accessible overviews of research from across the biological, physical and social sciences, and engineering and technology. It places the findings of this research in a policy context for Parliamentary use.
The best known format for these briefings are ‘POSTnotes’: four page summaries of public policy issues based on reviews of the research literature and interviews with stakeholders from across academia, industry, government and the third sector; they are peer reviewed by external experts. POSTnotes are often produced proactively, so that parliamentarians have advance knowledge of key issues before they reach the top of the political agenda.
Find out more here: https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/bicameral/post/publications/
The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST, for short) has been producing impartial, non-partisan, and peer-reviewed briefing notes for over thirty years on various subjects which may be of interest to Members and staffers.
POST is the UK Parliament’s in-house source of independent, balanced and accessible analysis of public policy issues related to science and technology. Their aim is to inform parliamentary debate.
More information and the full list of POSTnotes can be found on the main POST site here: https://post.parliament.uk/
Their work programme covers:
Their analysis covers:
All publications (since 1995) are available in PDF format. To sign up for their mailing list, please click here: https://mailchi.mp/email.parliament.uk/post
POST also hosts seminars and training events, details of which can be found here: https://post.parliament.uk/events/