the newsletter of scotland’s national academy · 2018. 6. 7. · 2 resourcewinter 2014 •...

ISSUE 45 WINTER 2014

resourceThe Newsletter of Scotland’s National Academy

Also featured in this issue:

Saving Craigellachie Bridge

Resourcing of Science in Scottish Schools

Visit by President of the European Research Council

Sir John Arbuthnott hands over the Presidency of the RSE to Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the first lady ever to hold this position. More inside ....Photo by Gary Doak.

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resource WINTER 2014

• (Susan) Jocelyn Bell Burnell was born in Belfast, the daughter of an architect.

• She was one of the first girls allowed to study science at Lurgan College in NorthernIreland.

• She failed her 11-plus and was sent to Mount School, York, a Quaker School, whereshe had an inspirational physics teacher.

• She graduated from Glasgow University and became a post-graduate student, researching in astrophysics at Cambridge.

• In July 1967, she detected a bit of “scruff” on her chart-recorder papers. It turned out to be a rapidly rotating neutron star, or pulsar – the first ever to be detected. However, the subsequent Nobel Prize was awarded not to her but to her thesis supervisor, Antony Hewish.

• She has won numerous awards across the world and is Visiting Professor of Astrophysics at Oxford. She was the first woman to become President of the Institute of Physics and is the first woman President of the RSE.

• She was appointed CBE in 1999 and Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2007.

(Extracted from The Times 15 February 2014)

45th President of the Royal Society of EdinburghDame Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE CBE BSc PhD FRS MRIA FInstP FRAS

RSE Royal Medals and the IEEE/RSE/Wolfson, James Clerk Maxwell Award 2014

This year, the RSE was also pleasedto give the RSE/IEEE/Wolfson, James Clerk Maxwell Award to Sir David Payne, Director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre, Southampton,for his groundbreaking contributions to optical fibre technologies and their application to optical communications. He is pictured (left, second fromright), at the IEEE Honors Ceremony in August, held at the RAI ConventionCentre in Amsterdam with: (l-r) Howard E. Michel, IEEE President-Elect; Derek Milne, Manager of Marketing Communications at Cirrus Logic; and J. Roberto B. de Marca, IEEE President and CEO.

Earlier this year, Wolfson Microelectronics was acquired by the US based company, Cirrus Logic. Although the Wolfson name will not continue, the RSE is pleased to report that, in 2015, Cirrus Logic will continue to support the James Clerk Maxwell Award, under that corporate brand.

Gareth Easton Photography

Two RSE Royal Medals were awarded in 2014, the first to Professor Sir Thomas W B Kibble CBE FRS for hisinvolvement in the research and discovery of the mechanismthat gives mass to elementary particles. Sir Tom receivedhis award at the University of Edinburgh School of PhysicsGraduation Ceremony in the McEwan Hall in June. He ispictured (left) earlier that day, signing the RSE RoyalMedals book.

The second award was made to Professor Richard G MMorris CBE FRS FRSE (right) for his pioneering work inneuroscience, which has raised the possibility of treatments to stem the global epidemic of dementia and cognitive decline. Professor Morris received hisaward at the RSE ASM in October. The citation for Professor Morris was read by RSE Vice-President, Professor Anna Dominiczak (pictured on facing page).

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Changes at the RSEThis year’s Annual Statutory Meeting saw a number of important changes to the membership of Council.

Sir John Arbuthnott came to the end of his time as President, after a highly-productive three years in the role. Sir John said he had found his time as President very rewarding: it had been a busy and, at times, a testing experience, but the support from Council and the wider Fellowship had been invaluable. He handed over the Presidency to Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the outstanding astrophysicist and prominent science communicator.

This year’s ASM also saw the appointment of: two new Vice-Presidents, Professor Neva Haites and Professor John Wallace; a new Fellowship Secretary, Professor John Connell; and a new Convener of the Audit and Risk Management Committee, Dr Robert Black.

In addition, the RSE’s Laws were amended to enable Council to nominate a Vice-President as Deputy President to represent the Society on behalf of the President in his/her absence, when required. Council has since agreed that Professor Sir David Wallace should assume this position for the present period of his term of office, which ends on 31 March 2016.

Our thanks go to outgoing Council members: Professor Sir John Arbuthnott MRIA FMedSci; Professor Anna Dominiczak OBE FMedSci; Professor Graham Caie; Professor Alan Miller; and Sir Brian Ivory CBE for their hard work and dedication during their time in post.

Current Council and Office-Bearers (those in italics are new appointments in October 2014)

President Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE FRS MRIA

General SecretaryProfessor Alan Alexander OBE

Deputy PresidentSir David Wallace CBE KB FRS

Vice-Presidents(International)Professor Tariq Durrani OBE(Life Sciences)Professor Neva Haites OBE(Business)Mr Ian Ritchie CBE (Arts & Humanities)Professor John Wallace CBE

TreasurerMr Gerald Wilson CB

Fellowship SecretaryProfessor John M C Connell

Ordinary Members of CouncilProfessor Doreen Cantrell CBE FRS Professor Robert CormackDr Barbara Crawford OBESir Muir Russell KCBDame Joan Stringer DBE

Convener of Audit and Risk ManagementCommittee and Council ObserverDr Robert W. Black CBE

Curator Dr Iain Gordon Brown

Programme ConvenerSir Andrew Cubie CBE

Research Awards ConvenerProfessor Steve Beaumont OBE

Young People’s Programme ConvenerDr Chris van der Kuyl

Education Committee ConvenerProfessor Sally Brown OBE

Sir John Arbuthnott is pictured with Lady Elinor Arbuthnott, who was also aregular and welcome visitorto the RSE during Sir John’sPresidency.

Professor Anna Dominiczak (left)and Professor Graham Caie (right)

Professor AlanMiller (left) and Sir Brian Ivory (right)

Photographs on pages 2 and 3 are by Gary Doak(except those of Sir Tom Kibble, Professor Caie,Professor Miller and Sir Brian Ivory).

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Monday 9 February 2015at 6 pm

PETER WILSON LECTUREFeeding the Future: Can we do it Sustainably?Professor Tim BentonUK Champion for Global Food Security & Professor of PopulationEcology, University of Leeds

Tuesday 17 February2015 at 6 pm

LECTUREEating Disorders in Scotland: How will weManage?Dr E Jane B MorrisConsultant Psychiatrist, The EdenUnit Royal Cornhill Hospital;Aberdeen Lead Clinician, North ofScotland Managed Clinical Networkfor Eating Disorders; Honorary Senior Lecturer, University of Aberdeen; Honorary Fellow, Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh; Associate, NewnhamCollege, Cambridge

Monday 23 February2015

LAUNCH EVENTInternational Year ofLight - the Launch of aYear of Celebration Various speakers and exhibitorsincluding: Professor Malcolm Longair CBE FRS FRSE and Professor Robert Crawford FRSE

There is much discussion of the world'sdemand for food being set to double inthe next decades. Climate change'simpacts on farming are also increasinglybeing felt. Farming is competing for access to land and water, and its impactson the natural environment (whetherthrough habitat loss, impact onbiodiversity, impact on water bodies orcarbon emissions) are often highlightedfrom local to global levels. Is it possibleto grow more food, sustainably, or do weneed to change our expectations of whatcan be made available?

Joint lecture with the Scottish Consortium for Rural Research and the Society of Biology, Scotland

American research suggests 11% of girlshave an eating disorder during theirteens. Boys are increasingly diagnosed,as we recognise that these are disordersof obsessive weight-losing behaviour, including compulsive exercise too.Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality of any psychiatric disorders,whilst surviving sufferers and their families experience living hell. Dr Morriswill discuss Scotland’s struggle to confront, prevent and manage theseconditions over the past 50 years and examine the challenges ahead.

Light is fundamental to the existence oflife and plays an increasingly importantrole in shaping society through medicine,communications, entertainment and culture. In recognition of this, the UnitedNations has proclaimed 2015 as theInternational Year of Light and Light-based Technologies.

This event will mark the start of the Yearby exploring all these different aspects of light; how it is used in science andindustry, how it impacts on modern society and influences our culturethrough ideas, art and technology.

Organised in partnership with the Institute of Physics

Image ©BBSRC

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Tuesday 17 March 2015

RSE/RAEng LECTURELight, Energy and the InternetProfessor David Miller CorrFRSE FRSW M Keck Foundation Professor ofElectrical Engineering and Professorby Courtesy of Applied Physics,Stanford University. Co-Director,Standford Photonics Research Center, Standford University CA

Monday 20 April 2015 at 6 pm

BP HUTTON PRIZE INENERGY INNOVATIONLECTUREThe Race for Clean Energy: Removing theFossil from the FuelProfessor Lee Cronin FRSC FRSERegius Chair of Chemistry, University of Glasgow

Humanity depends upon fossil carbon,but with CO2 levels above 400 parts permillion, the race is now on to developbetter, cleaner energy systems. New methods are required to convert windand sunlight to fuel, to store energy, and to ensure fixation-activation of the atmospheric CO2. The solutions must not only be cheap and scalable, but also socially and politically acceptable, if humanity is going to prosper beyond the end of this century.

In this lecture, Professor Cronin will describe his work at the fundamental,device and system levels, exploring newroutes to solar fuels.

RSE Events are open to all and normally free to attend, but registration is required. To register,please contact the Events Team – 0131 240 2780 – [email protected] or go online at:www.royalsoced.org.uk. Some events may carry a charge – please check individual details.

Many RSE events run to full capacity. If you book a place at any event but are unable to attend, itwould be appreciated if you could inform the Events Team so that your place can be reallocated.

PLEASE NOTE: If you usually book event tickets online, the RSE has recently launched a new online booking system that allows users to update their own account details and register forevents. The site is accessed from the RSE website as usual and guidance is provided as you proceed to the new system. You must have an email address if you wish to use the online booking system. Please do not hesitate to contact the events team if you have any problemsusing the new system.

Light (in the form of Optics) now carriesalmost all our information over nearly allthe distance it travels. The exponentialgrowth of data on the Internet relies onoptical fibre and photonic technology.But handling that data requires power, inenvironmentally significant amounts,with most of the energy dissipated forcommunicating inside machines and datacentres. New generations of integratedphotonic technology may solve thatproblem too, thereby sustaining society’sinsatiable demand for data.

This is a joint lecture with the RoyalAcademy of Engineering.

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The RSE Young Academyof ScotlandArts and Humanities at the ParliamentOn 8 October, the Young Academy brought together politicians,academics and practitioners to discuss: how Arts and Humanities research and practice can contribute to Scotland’sfuture by helping to address the challenges facing our society.

This event, held in the Fairfax Somerville committee room atthe Scottish Parliament, was hosted by Clare Adamson MSP and addressed by Mike Russell MSP, then Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning (pictured left and centre in middle image). In their opening remarks, both of these politicians were very supportive of the aims of the event, lookingto promote Arts and Humanities research and practice.

Professor Rob Dunbar, Pauline McLean (BBC), Dr Fiona Watsonand Professor Christopher Whatley FRSE (pictured right below)made up the expert panel and all spoke eloquently about howthey viewed the Arts and Humanities and their place within society.

After a lively discussion around funding and recognition of artsand humanities projects, the event turned to the networkingportion of the evening. This second hour also featured an exhibition of projects that show how research and innovation inthe arts and humanities can benefit society. These included:

• The Foundry – creating culture out of Glasgow’s industrial past;

• Technophonia – innovation in music and technology in Edinburgh;

• Prison projects – bringing arts and culture to Scottish prisons;

• Coastal heritage at risk – from Wemyss caves in Fife to Sanday in Orkney;

• New Speakers of Gaelic – emerging from urban Scotland andabroad.

The Young Academy Arts and Humanities Working Group said:“Both sides in the Independence Referendum campaign talkedabout creating a better and fairer society in Scotland. Culture,heritage and creativity can help sustain relationships, fosterideas of identity and develop strong and resilient communities.Research and funding in this area is vital for addressing socialinequality and exclusion, poor health, educational disadvantage,environmental change and economic hardship. We want to see the arts and humanities valued more in Scotland.”

It is hoped that this event will be the springboard for furtherdiscussions in this area. Many questions were raised in the discussions at this event and the YAS Arts and Humanities Working Group will be concentrating on trying to tackle thesequestions in the coming years.

The event brochure can be viewed at: www.youngacademyofscotland.org.uk/images/Arts_and_Hums_Brochure.pdf

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Connecting Scotland’s Entrepreneurial NetworkOn the evening of 2 October 2014, over 90 entrepreneurs from across Scotland gathered for the event ‘Connecting Scotland’s Entrepreneurial Network’ at the RoyalScots Club, Edinburgh. The event brought together RSE Fellows, RSE Enterprise Fellows, members of the RSE Young Academy of Scotland, Saltire Fellows, entrepreneurs,investors and organisations that support commercialisation in Scotland.

The event, chaired by Edward Cunningham CBE FRSE (pictured top right), was funded by the RSE and the Young Academy of Scotland, with support from the Saltire Foundation.

The focus of the event was on linking talent across the organisations and creating opportunities. The format was designed to ensure that, after the first pitch session, all of the entrepreneurs would have the opportunity to discuss their business modelsand challenges they face with a round table of participants with a range of relevantexperiences and connections. Entrepreneurs benefited from the diversity of other participants with backgrounds across technology, life sciences, business, finance andmarketing. Only time will tell, but the connections forged are expected to strengthenbusiness propositions and stimulate new ventures.

Twenty-four entrepreneurs had the opportunity to pitch their businesses and thestandard of pitches was outstanding. The prize for the winning pitch went to MargotMcBride (middle right) from the University of Dundee for her mobile x-ray device.

A number of other prizes were also awarded to a variety of pitchers, including:

• David Hunter (bottom right) for his golf tracking/data collection technology (ShotScope Technologies);

• John Ferguson (bottom centre) for his company producing ethical and sustainableproducts from Sisal (East Africa Sisal Company); and

• YAS member, Andrew Manches (on right in image below left, in conversation with Alexander Kagansky, member of the Young Academy for Scotland) for his 'Digiblocks' for the maths/education market.

All the Prizes were kindly donated by m2lasers.

Some feedback from the event:

“great to see the entrepreneurial spirit being brought together across the organisations and generations”;

“this was a pitching and networking event with a difference”;

“the buzz and atmosphere last night was totally conducive in supporting the successof the evening”.

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Grants for RSE Fellows

Travel Grant to AustraliaProfessor E Marian Scott OBE, University of Glasgow

Professor Scott has been appointed a distinguished visiting scientist to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia’s national scienceagency. During a visit to Australia in June and July 2014, shewas able to use an RSE travel grant to extend the length andscope of her activities.

The majority of her time was spent in Melbourne, based atMonash University campus, but Professor Scott was also able to make a research visit to Adelaide (to the Environmental Protection Authority) in June and to speak at the annual Australian Statistical Conference in Sydney in July on environmental quality and trends in Scotland.

As a result of attendance at the ASC, Professor Scott receivedinvitations to visit the University of Western Australia in Perthand the University of Wollangong, National Institute for Applied Statistics Research Australia (NIASRA).

Other visits resulted in the development of several new research themes, linked to the new Urban Big Data Centre,based in Glasgow and funded by ESRC. Two resulting new research directions are on: soil quality mapping using high resolution spectral images; and the development and benchmarking of urban indicators.

Travel Grant to MexicoProfessor Peter Slater, Emeritus Professor of Natural History, University of St Andrews

Professor Slater visited the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Biological Station in Chamela, Mexico inMay/June 2014. The aim of the visit was to build on earlier studies of the happy wren (Pheugopedius felix), with furtherwork specifically on duet integration using pairs of birds held temporarily in captivity, and with studies of the use of song in birds that had re-mated with different birds since earlier surveys in 2010 and 2011.

An exceptionally early breeding season in 2014 meant that the original plan had to be modified, but a large number of individuals were ringed and recorded and these data added substantially to the long term data that had previously been collected on this species. In addition, the team carried out apilot experiment on song matching in two captive males, and a more extensive study on whether the sounds of other species affect the timing of song.

This was a fourth visit to Chamela by the research group and the data obtained added considerably to existing knowledge of the species. It also added to the collaboration with researchers from UNAM and was useful training in handlingbirds, sound recording and field experimentation for research students from both St Andrews and UNAM.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh administers a Grants Fund for the award of grants to Fellows and Young Academy Members in support of researchand scholarship. All Fellows and Young Academy Members, whether in employment or retired, are eligible to apply, other than those serving onCouncil and/or the Grants Committee, regardless of which organisationthey are based in. Joint applications (between Young Academy Membersand Fellows) are considered favourably, for those grants where it is possible to make a joint application.

Closing dates for applications to the Grants Committee are the last working days in February, May, August and November

www.royalsoced.org.uk/584_GrantsforFellows.html

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Professor Clive Greated, University of Edinburgh and Dr Bing Chen, Dalian University of Technology (DUT)

Development of a new buoy-type energy converter

This collaborative programme between the University of Edinburgh and Dalian University of Technology (DUT) aimed to develop a new buoy-type wave energy converter which can generate electricity on board, rather than pumping water along a pipeline to a shore-based turbine. This offers flexibility of deployment in deep, intermediate or shallowwater and avoids expensive sea bed and land-based installations. Laboratory experiments were conducted in wave flumes at both Dalianand Edinburgh, to examine the practicalities ofimplementing such a system and also to test a numerical model developed at DUT for predicting performance characteristics.

This joint project benefitted the individuals and institutions involved by facilitating an exchange of expertise in advanced wave generation techniques and numerical modelling and the sharing of experimental wave tank facilities.

In wider terms, China benefitted from the expertise built up in Scotland in the area of wavetesting and energy and Scotland benefitted bygaining access to a wider scientific community and expertise in numerical modelling at DUT.

Grant for Visiting Lecturer to ScotlandProfessor Bonnie Webber (below right) applied for a grant in order to bring ProfessorBarbara Grosz (top right), Professor of Natural Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Massachussetts, to Scotland to deliver a series of lectures to coincide with this year’s New Fellows Induction Ceremony, at which Professor Grosz was welcomed as the first distinguished woman computer scientist to be made a Corresponding Fellow of the RSE. Professor Webber read the citation atthe Induction Ceremony on 19 May 2014, before Professor Grosz was welcomed toFellowship by the President, and invited to sign the role.

Whilst in Scotland, Professor Grosz gave lectures at the School of Informatics, Universityof Edinburgh (also attended by researchers from the Department of Computer Scienceat Heriot-Watt University); the School of Computing, University of Dundee; and the Department of Computing Science, University of Aberdeen. At each site, researchersfrom two non-intersecting groups (Natural Language Processing and Multo-Agent Systems) attended and Professor Grosz was able to demonstrate the links between their research that can be exploited to improve health care coordination. This is likely to influence the direction of subsequent research by both groups.

The title of Professor Grosz’ talk was Health Care Coordination and Health Literacy: The Need for Smart Multi-agent Systems and it covered the research on health care coordination that links her well-known work on computational models of discourse and dialogue and her renowned work on multi-agent collaborations.

Professor Greated delivers lecture at Dalian University of Technology Panjin campus

Professor Greated and Dr Chen at the Edinburgh Flowave Tank

Joint Project with the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)

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Fellows in Action

Craigellachie Bridge soon after completion. Drawn and published by J. Grant, Elgin. ©Paxton

The Craigellachie Bridge is a cast iron arch bridge located at Craigellachie, near the village of Aberlour in Moray, Scotland. It was designed by the renowned civil engineerThomas Telford FRSE and built between 1812 and 1814. The bridge has a single spanof approximately 46 metres (151 ft) and was revolutionary for its time, in that it used an extremely slender arch which was not possible using traditional masonry construction. The ironwork was cast at the Plas Kynaston iron foundry at Cefn Mawr,near Ruabon in Denbighshire, by William Hazledine, who cast a number of Telfordbridges. The ironwork was transported from the foundry through the Ellesmere Canaland Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, then by sea to Speymouth, where it was loaded onto wagons and taken to the site. Testing in the 1960s revealed that the cast iron had anunusually high tensile strength. This was likely specified by Telford because, unlike intraditional masonry arch bridges, some elements of the arch and spandrel struts arenot in compression under loading. At each end of the structure there are two 15 m(49 ft) high masonry mock-medieval towers, featuring arrow slits and miniaturecrenellated battlements.

Something like a Spider’s WebFrom RSE Fellow, Professor Roland Paxton MBE FICE’s lecture delivered in Craigellachie Village Hall on the Bicentenary of Craigellachie Bridge.

In 1812, Telford wrote: “Having measured the width of the river andlearned the height to which the floodsrise, and having considered the nature of the foundations, the depth of water,and other circumstances, I became satisfied that any stone bridge with piers in the river would cause an expenseand continual risk, but an iron arch .... of 150 ft, I am convinced might be accomplished for about £8000”.

This indeed proved to be the case duringthe great flood of 1829, when otherbridges down the length of the river werewashed away but the Craigellachie archsurvived. The figure (top left, facing page)illustrates the depth the water reachedon that occasion and, in red, a notionalidea of the larch centering used to supportthe ironwork during fixing in 1814.

Craigellachie Bridge is technically outstanding as the world’s earliest surviving example of an innovative, light-weight, prefabricated cast ironbridge type, which made a significantcontribution to Britain’s roads before therailway age. With spans longer than thenpracticable in stone, and exhibiting anunparalleled combination of strength,economy and intuitive design. By 1830,the genre had been adopted in nearlyhalf of all the world’s cast iron bridgeswith spans over 32 m. It achieved aunique ‘spider’s web’ lightness by distributing forces throughout the whole framework, using high quality ductile castings of nearly half the tensilestrength of modern mild steel and, in addition to traffic loads, has been ableto accommodate a temperature range of movement of about one inch.

Professor Philip Schlesinger (r),Professor in Cultural Policy, University of Glasgow, has beenappointed a non-executive member of the Ofcom ContentBoard to represent the people ofScotland. He has been a memberof Ofcom’s Advisory Committeefor Scotland since 2004 and itsChairman since 2009, a role hewill continue until the end of2014. His three-year appointmentto the Content Board begins on 1 December 2014.

Congratulations to ProfessorJean Marcel Tirole HonFRSE (r), Scientific Director, Institut d'Economie Industrielle (IDEI),Toulouse, who has been awarded the 2014 Nobel Prizein Economics for his analysis of market power and regulation.Regulators and competition authorities have obtained "a whole new set of tools"from Professor Tirole's work, according to the Royal SwedishAcademy of Sciences, which announced the award.

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After 150 years of valuable service, surviving the great flood, deck strengthening in 1902, and carrying ‘extremely heavy’ military vehicles from1939 to 1945, the bridge was closed for a major refurbishment in 1963–64. Thebridge was reconstructed above its original ribs and cross-bracing, with caretaken to retain its original character. Thisinvolved replacement steel spandrels,deck beams and railings, but the originaldeck plates were retained to support areinforced concrete deck. A 14 ton restriction was placed on the bridge atthis point. This, along with the fact thatthe road to the north of the bridge takesa sharp right-angled turn against a 100 ft-tall excavated rock face, made itunsuitable for modern vehicles. Despitethis, it carried foot and vehicle trafficacross the River Spey until 1972, whenits function was replaced by a steel andreinforced concrete bridge, which carriesthe A941 road today.

©Paxton

In 2007, this A-listed bridge was dubbed an International Historic Civil EngineeringLandmark and this was recognised at the bridge by the knowledge-promotion plaque presented by the American Society of Civil Engineers and erected by MorayCouncil on a masonry plinth. Professor Paxton worked to this end, on behalf of the Panel for Historical Engineering Works of the Institution of Civil Engineers and with support from Moray Council, local people and the American Society. Professor Paxton is pictured below (on right) at the International plaque unveilingin 2007 with Dr Henry Petroski, American civil engineer, historian and author.

Since being bypassed in 1972, the bridge has received littlemaintenance. In July 2014, the Concrete & Corrosion Consultancy Practice Ltd, at the initiative of Moray Council, inspected the bridge (left) and found it to be in generally good condition, but in need of refurbishment, costing in the order of £400,000, to keep in good order. With its use now limited to recreational, educational and environment enjoyment as an international historic monument, this is too large a sum to expect the Council to find from its bridgemaintenance budget. Help with funding to obviate further deterioration of the bridge is now being sought and the ‘Friends of Craigellachie Bridge’ has been established, hopefully to provide the essential local support to ensure the bridge’s preservation for the next 200 years.

(Extracted from article by Professor Paxton that appeared in the November 2014 issue of the Knock News, Banffshire).

©Concorr

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The Resourcing of Science in Scottish SchoolsThe Learned Societies’ Group on Scottish Science Education

The Learned Societies’ Group on ScottishScience Education (LSG) was establishedin 2012. It arose from concerns about,and an awareness of the need to contribute to, the major reforms in thedelivery of science education in Scottishschools. Its remit includes identifying and promoting priorities for school science education in Scotland; monitoring and responding to school science education initiatives and

developments; and stimulating debaterelating to these issues.

Chaired by Professor Sally Brown OBEFRSE, and coordinated by the RSE, othermembers of the LSG are drawn from the:Association for Science Education; BritishComputer Society; Engineering PolicyGroup in Scotland; Institute of Physics;Royal Society of Chemistry; and Societyof Biology.

Recognising that more than ten yearshave passed since data were gatheredabout the funding of practical science in Scottish schools, the LSG determinedthat it should investigate the current resource allocated for delivering scienceeducation in Scottish schools. A furtherimpetus to gather up-to-date information in Scotland was the work undertaken by the Science CommunityRepresenting Education (SCORE) on theresourcing of practical science at primaryand secondary school levels in England.In 2013, that research highlighted anacute shortage in schools and sixth formcolleges of essential equipment and consumables for practical work in science. There were concerns the situation may be similar in Scotland.

Earlier this year, the LSG commissionedPye Tait Consulting to carry out a surveyof state-maintained primary and secondary schools in Scotland to gatherevidence on the resources allocated tothe delivery of the science curriculum.The surveys generated responses from39 individual primary schools and 46individual secondary schools. The smallsamples mean that the results of the surveys are intended to provide an indication only of the Scotland-wide picture.

The LSG launched its report of thefindings on 12 November at the annualScience and the Parliament event at OurDynamic Earth in Edinburgh. The resultssuggest that pupils in state schools inScotland are not being provided with the science equipment and resourcesneeded to meet the requirements of the curriculum. The findings indicate that the amount of money spent perpupil on science education for the Curriculum for Excellence in primary and secondary schools in Scotland isless than in England for their more traditional courses.

The average annual spend on science in 2013/14 in Scottish primary schoolswas £1.62 per pupil. This compares with £2.89 in England in 2011/12, as reported by SCORE. The situation is similar for the Scottish secondary schools surveyed, with an average reported annual spend on science of£7.33 per pupil, compared to £10.12 in England as detailed in the SCORE findings.

The RSE comments ....

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Other key findings include 98% of Scottish primary and secondary schoolsreporting that they have to draw on external funding sources to support practical science work. In secondaryschools, teachers commonly contributetowards normal curricular activitiesfrom their own pockets. Results from secondary science departments furtherindicate that spending on reprographicsaccounts for more than double theamount allocated for science equipment.

More than 80% of secondary schoolsindicated that they are not confident of having enough equipment to deliverpractical science work effectively overthe next two years. In primary schools,45% of teachers reported having no access to safety equipment or to an appropriate science resources area.

The surveys indicate that teachers are insufficiently supported to teach science. Insecondary schools, 44% reported being dissatisfied with levels of technician support,while confidence in teaching practical science is reported to be an issue in some primary schools.

Teachers’ survey responses included the following:“Essentials such as stationary and reprographics take up a huge part of the budget,then it’s annual consumables and replacing basics due to wear & tear. We never havefunds within the budget to buy new innovative equipment or to fund trips”.

“The majority of physics equipment is over 40 years old. It is damaged, broken or notworking and far too expensive to replace. Unless all staff are confident to teach science, equipment will not be requested or used”.

The LSG intends to use the findings as it engages with local and national government,school leaders, parents and industry bodies in efforts to ensure that school science issufficiently resourced and supported. The group believes that, given national policyambitions for enhancing and maintaining the vitality of Scotland's strong sciencebase, it is important that priority is afforded to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools.

The LSG summary of the main findings and Pye Tait’s full survey analysis are availablefrom the LSG webpage on the RSE website:www.royalsoced.org.uk/1076_LearnedSocietiesGrouponScottishScienceEducation.html

FRIENDS OF THE SOCIETYCORPORATE PARTNERS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH

If you would like to know more about the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Friends of the Society initiative,or if your organisation may be interested in joining the scheme, please contact:

Nicole Harrington, Development Officer – 0131 240 2785 – [email protected]

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The RSE has called for adegree of realism on aproposed new nationalfood and drink policyfor Scotland. The Scottish Government’s consultation documentset out a vision of Scotland as a ‘GoodFood Nation’ and identified a number of priority areas for action, including food in the public sector, a children’s food policy, local food, goodfood choices and continued economic growth.

Whilst welcoming the broad vision and agreeing that each of the priority areas isimportant, the RSE suggests that the policy must recognise the long timescales required to make progress in changing some of Scotland’s most entrenched dietaryhabits and culture. Further, the policy must explicitly recognise that there are potential conflicts between its goals, such as growth of the food and drink sector and improved diets.

Other key points raised in the response include:

• The benefits of taking an international perspective, drawing from experiencesacross the UK, Europe and further afield, to allow Scotland to develop well-informed, evidence-based initiatives from the outset.

• That the establishment of a Food Commission could be a useful vehicle throughwhich to drive progress towards the Good Food vision, but that this must be donewith careful consideration of how the Commission would link with the numerous bodies that already play a role in achieving the goals of the vision.

• That the RSE is particularly concerned about the broad allusion to the Food Commission having some responsibility for setting research priorities and calls for clarity on how this would sit with the current management of integrated research by the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS).

In October, the RSE also responded tothe European Commission’s review of Europe 2020, the EU’s strategy for ‘smart,sustainable, inclusive’ growth. The strategy,launched in 2010, sets out targets in fivekey areas of employment, research anddevelopment, energy, education andpoverty, to be achieved by 2020.

The RSE highlighted the need to considerthe context of this mid-way review, whichcomes at a time of rising Euro-scepticismand of change within both the EuropeanParliament and the Commission itself.The refresh of Europe 2020 is a powerfulopportunity to reconnect with Europeancitizens; to re-assess the purpose of theEU; and agree the principles and addedvalue that guide EU action.

In addition, the effects of the economiccrisis continue to be felt. The strategycalls for investment at all levels (regions,Member States, EU) in programmes thatwill contribute to growth, but this doesnot sit comfortably with the EU’s fiscalpolicy of austerity.

The RSE sets out three principles thatshould shape the review of the strategyand its targets, that:

• EU action must be designed to add maximum value;

• the strategy must recognise and enhance the role of actors at sub-national level; and

• the strategy must take account of the inter-relationships between the targets of Europe 2020, in order to avoid unforeseen and unintended consequences.

Read the full response at: www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/advice-papers/2014/AP14_12.pdf

Europe 2020: The Way AheadBecoming a Good Food Nation: the RSE responds to the Scottish Government’s consultation on Scotland’s next foodand drink policy

The RSE comments ....

Read discussion document at: www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0045/00453219.pdfRead the full response: www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/advice-papers/2014/AP14_11.pdf

MSP Question Time (pictured above, l-r)Clare AdamsonLiz SmithProfessor Alan Alexander OBE (panelchair), RSE General SecretaryElaine MurrayLiam McArthur

At the last session, four scientists spokeon different aspects of education:

Creating Wealth from Investment in Science and InnovationProfessor John Coggins OBE FRSE, University of Glasgow

The M in STEMProfessor Martin McCoustra, Heriot-Watt University

Workplace-ready degree programmesDr Robin Westacott, Heriot-Watt University

Science and the needs of industryDr Allan Colquhoun, Selex ES.

Closing remarks were made by DrMatthew Brown, Head of Communicationsand Campaigns, RSC and the event concluded with an evening reception atwhich delegates had further opportunityto view the display stands of the 18 organisations represented at the event.

15


Science and the Parliament 2014Science and the Parliament is the biggest annual gathering of scientific and policy-making communities in Scotland. Organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC),with the support of the RSE, the event attracts the support of learned organisations, further and higher education and industry across the full spectrum of science and engineering disciplines. The event is also well supported and attended by MSPs andsenior members of the civil service.

At this year’s event, the focus was on education. In his introduction in the printed programme, RSC President, Dominic Tildesley CBE said, “Scotland has a great tradition for education, both at school and tertiary level, with some of the oldest universities in the world..... There has also been much change in Scottish education,with developments such as the Curriculum for Excellence and new National Qualifications; while post-Referendum we need to see how the infrastructure suporting research develops, with the consideration of further powers for the Scottish Parliament and Government.”

The keynote speaker at the event was new RSE President, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, pictured above (right) with Dr Alasdair Allan, Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Language and Professor Lesley Yellowlees CBE FRSE, past President of the RSC, both of whom also addressed the meeting.

Following this, prizes were awarded to pupils from schools throughout Scotland by the RSC, the Society of Biology, the Institute of Physics and the Royal Scottish Society of Arts.

Panel discussions were held throughoutthe day as follows:

Science in Schools (pictured above, l-r)Dr Bill Beveridge, RSCBristow Muldoon (panel chair), RSC & RSEVicki Butler, RSCProfessor Sally Brown OBE, Chair of RSEEducation Committee

Photographs at Science and the Parliament by Gary Baker


The annual RSE MacCormick European Lecture is named in honour of the late Professor Sir Neil MacCormick FBA FRSE (right), in recognition of his contribution to Scottish and European politics and his international work for the RSE.

This year’s Lecture was delivered by Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, President of the European Research Council, who was the Director of the Institut des HautesEtudes Scientifiques (IHES) from 1994 until 2013. He was also the first ERC Panel Chair in Mathematics, for Starting Grants.

As well as delivering the MacCormicklecture, Professor Bourguignon followed a rigorous timetable throughout histhree days in Scotland (23–25 November).

Several meetings had been organised atthe RSE and Professor Bourguignon had the opportunity to meet with researchersand grant holders from across Scotland and discuss various issues with them.

Professor Bourguignon met first withyoung researchers and innovators selected from the Young Academy of Scotland, RSE postdoctoral research fellows (with EU funding), RSE EnterpriseFellows and members of the Scottish Crucible, some of whom gave short presentations, before an open discussion,chaired by Professor Alan Miller FRSE.

Professor Bourguignon then spent timein discussion with several ERC grantholders in Scotland, before meeting withrepresentatives from Edinburgh NapierUniversity, Queen Margaret University,the Universities of Aberdeen, Dundee,Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, St Andrews,Strathclyde and the West of Scotlandand the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

In addition, during his time here, he wasinterviewed by Holyrood Magazine, BBCRadio Scotland and BBC Scotland.

MacCormick European Lecture 2014

Professor Bourguignon delivered his publiclecture on Diversity and Interdependencein Science and Europe, Centuries of Enrichment and Struggle, to a full housein the RSE Wolfson Lecture Theatre, onthe evening of 24 November. ProfessorBell Burnell introduced the evening; aninteresting question and answer sessionfollowed the lecture.

COPY Please send any copy to the Editor (Jenny Liddell) at the Society – [email protected]: ISSN No 1473-7841

The event was concluded with a Vote of Thanks by RSE Vice-President, Professor Sir David Wallace (right).

A summary report of the lecture will soon appear on the RSE website at:www.royalsoced.org.uk/1156_November2014.html

ADDRESS22–26 GEORGE STREET EDINBURGH, SCOTLANDEH2 2PQ

INFORMATIONwebsite: www.royalsoced.org.ukwww.rsescotlandfoundation.org.uke-mail: [email protected]: 0131 240 5000Fax: 0131 240 5024Events ticketline: 0131 240 2780

The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy, is Scottish Charity No. SC000470The RSE Scotland Foundation is a connected charity, registered in Scotland as Scottish Charity No. SC024636The RSE Scotland SCIO is a connected charity, registered in Scotland as Scottish Charity No. SC043194

the newsletter of scotland’s national academy · 2018. 6. 7. · 2 resourcewinter 2014 •...

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