• Wednesday 6th march 2019
  • Postdoc Centre, 16 Mill Lane CB2 1SB
  • Register for this workshop here.

    This workshop aims to share career tips and necessary skills for students and early-career researchers who are considering careers in science and policy. The speakers have diverse backgrounds, from British government departments, think tanks, the European Commission and the University’s careers service. This will be an interactive session, including time for Q&A.

    Speakers:

    David Mair – Head of Science Advice to Policy, European Commission

    Dai Brown – Principal Research Officer, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

    Dai Brown is the Principal Research Officer within the Legislative Strategy, Capability and Better Regulations Unit at DEFRA.

    Dr Simone Cooper-Searle – Senior Policy Advisor Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

    Liz Simmonds – Careers Service, University of Cambridge

  • The workshop is relevant to anyone seeking to influence policy makers, explain the significance of their research or improve their writing skills. It will cover the key aspects of writing to support policy development. This will be an interactive session, including time for Q&A.

    Speaker: Dr Andrew Kaye, Head of International Resilience, Government Office for Science

    Dr Kaye is currently responsible for coordinating science advice during emergencies. Previously he has been a ministerial speechwriter, worked in government communications and lectured in American history.

    • Date: 28th November 2018, 17:50 – 20:00 (including a drinks reception)
    • Location: Department of Engineering, Lecture Room 4

    What does the UK Parliament do? How can scientists engage with Parliamentary themes?

    A lot of scientific research has policy impact. The UK Parliament is the main policy-making body in this country. Come to our event to learn more about how scientific insight is implemented in Parliament. The main topics of the workshop will include current themes discussed by the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST). The workshop is open to both UK and international students with an interest in scientific research with a policy impact.

    The workshop was led by Sky Yarlett, Senior Education and Engagement Officer, UK Parliament.

    Sky’s role includes raising awareness of Parliament’s activities and promoting higher engagement from different groups, particularly hard-to-reach ones, such as BAME, women, unemployed or low-income groups. Sky has a degree in Contemporary Media Practice from the University of Westminster and her professional experience includes running different student or LGBTQ+ campaigns and promoting student representation at different levels.

    • Title: Is there a doctor (PhD) in the room? The role of scientific advice in crisis response
    • Date: 1st November 2018, 17:30 – 19:30
    • Location: The Peter Richards Room, Hughes Hall
    • Registration: click here for the Eventbrite page.

    In times of crises , the government can call experts to give scientific advice for response and management. This first workshop of the term will provide Cambridge early-career researchers with an understanding of how policy-making is affected by crises.

    The workshop will be led by experts working in civil service and academia, in particular:

    Dr Andrew Kaye – Government Office for Science, Head of International Resilience
    Dr Julius Weitzdörfer – Center for the Study of Existential Risk, Research Associate
    Dr Emily So – Cambridge Architectural Research Ltd, Director

    The workshop will include discussions on ensuring the quality of scientific advice in a crisis, as well as how future policies could build resilience against such events. The speakers will deliver a short presentation about their work and how it influences policy, followed by a case-scenario for the workshop attendees where the speakers will advise and question their decisions to make them more robust.

    This workshop will be followed by a drinks reception.

    November 21st, 6:30 pm – Gonville and Caius College, Bateman Auditorium

    Register here.

    DESCRIPTION

    Gene editing, where should we draw a line? How far can we go?

    The use of genetic techniques to edit human genes is one of the most controversial topics in modern science.

    Should these be used only as research tools, or should we aim to use them to eradicate diseases? If so, what would the implications be, and are the risks too high?

    In this event we will aim to consider all of these questions and more, through lectures given by three experts in the fields of gene editing, bioethics and law. The intersection where these topics meet will be explored and further discussed through a panel and questions from the chair and audience.

    SPEAKERS:

    Dr. Sarah Chan

    Sarah is a Chancellor’s Fellow at the Usher Institute for Population Health Sciences and Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. She graduated from the University of Melbourne with the degrees of LLB and BSc (Hons) and spent some years as a laboratory scientist in the field of molecular biology before moving to work in science policy and bioethics

    Dr. Jayne Spink

    Jayne is the CEO of Genetic Alliance UK where she develops strategies together with trustees and staff and oversees business support functions – including finance, fundraising and governance. She also provides oversight of their policy and public affairs work, member and public engagement, support services and research.

    Elizabeth Bohm

    Elizabeth was a Senior Policy Advisor at the Royal Society and is currently Head of International at the Academy of Medical Science. With a background in law, ethics and biology, she is interested in where these things meet.