ISSUE 45 WINTER 2014

rThe Newsletteres ourcof Scotland’s Nationale Academy

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.

Also featured in this issue: Saving Craigellachie Bridge Resourcing of Science in Scottish Schools Visit by President of the European Research Council resource WINTER 2014 45th President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE CBE BSc PhD FRS MRIA FInstP FRAS • (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 Northern Ireland. • She failed her 11-plus and was sent to Mount School, York, a Quaker School, where she 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)

RSE Royal Medals and the IEEE/RSE/Wolfson, James Clerk Maxwell Award 2014 Two RSE Royal Medals were awarded in 2014, the first to Professor Sir Thomas W B Kibble CBE FRS for his involvement in the research and discovery of the mechanism that gives mass to elementary particles. Sir Tom received his award at the University of Edinburgh School of Physics Graduation Ceremony in the McEwan Hall in June. He is pictured (left) earlier that day, signing the RSE Royal Medals book. The second award was made to Professor Richard G M Morris CBE FRS FRSE (right) for his pioneering work in neuroscience, which has raised the possibility of treatments to stem the global epidemic of dementia and cognitive decline. Professor Morris received his Gareth Easton Photography award at the RSE ASM in October. The citation for Professor Morris was read by RSE Vice-President, Professor Anna Dominiczak (pictured on facing page). This year, the RSE was also pleased to 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 from right), at the IEEE Honors Ceremony in August, held at the RAI Convention Centre 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. 2 resource WINTER 2014 Changes at the RSE Current Council This year’s Annual Statutory Meeting saw a number of important changes and Office-Bearers to the membership of Council. (those in italics are new appointments Sir John Arbuthnott came to the end of his time as President, after a highly- in October 2014) productive three years in the role. Sir John said he had found his time as President President very rewarding: it had been a busy and, at times, a testing experience, Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE FRS MRIA but the support from Council and the wider Fellowship had been invaluable. He handed over the Presidency to Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the General Secretary outstanding astrophysicist and prominent science communicator. Professor Alan Alexander OBE This year’s ASM also saw the appointment of: two new Vice-Presidents, Deputy President Professor Neva Haites and Professor John Wallace; a new Fellowship Sir David Wallace CBE KB FRS Secretary, Professor John Connell; and a new Convener of the Audit and Vice-Presidents Risk Management Committee, Dr Robert Black. (International) In addition, the RSE’s Laws were amended to enable Council to nominate a Professor Tariq Durrani OBE Vice-President as Deputy President to represent the Society on behalf of the (Life Sciences) President in his/her absence, when required. Council has since agreed that Professor Neva Haites OBE Professor Sir David Wallace should assume this position for the present (Business) period of his term of office, which ends on 31 March 2016. Mr Ian Ritchie CBE (Arts & Humanities) Our thanks go to outgoing Council members: Professor Sir John Arbuthnott Professor John Wallace CBE MRIA FMedSci; Professor Anna Dominiczak OBE FMedSci; Professor Graham Caie; Professor Alan Miller; and Sir Brian Ivory CBE for their hard work and Treasurer dedication during their time in post. Mr Gerald Wilson CB Fellowship Secretary Professor John M C Connell

Sir John Arbuthnott is Ordinary Members of Council pictured with Lady Elinor Professor Doreen Cantrell CBE FRS Arbuthnott, who was also a Professor Robert Cormack regular and welcome visitor Dr Barbara Crawford OBE to the RSE during Sir John’s Sir Muir Russell KCB Presidency. Dame Joan Stringer DBE Convener of Audit and Risk Management Committee and Council Observer Dr Robert W. Black CBE Curator Dr Iain Gordon Brown Programme Convener Professor Anna Sir Andrew Cubie CBE Dominiczak (left) and Professor Research Awards Convener Graham Caie (right) Professor Steve Beaumont OBE Young People’s Programme Convener Dr Chris van der Kuyl Education Committee Convener Professor Sally Brown OBE

Professor Alan Miller (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 2015 Tuesday 17 February Monday 23 February at 6 pm 2015 at 6 pm 2015 PETER WILSON LECTURE LAUNCH EVENT LECTURE Eating Disorders in International Year of Feeding the Future: Scotland: How will we Light - the Launch of a Can we do it Sustainably? Manage? Year of Celebration Professor Tim Benton Dr E Jane B Morris Various speakers and exhibitors UK Champion for Global Food Consultant Psychiatrist, The Eden including: Professor Malcolm Security & Professor of Population Unit Royal Cornhill Hospital; Longair CBE FRS FRSE and Ecology, University of Leeds Aberdeen Lead Clinician, North of Professor Robert Crawford FRSE Scotland Managed Clinical Network for Eating Disorders; Honorary Senior Lecturer, University of Aberdeen; Honorary Fellow, Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh; Associate, Newnham College, Cambridge

Image ©BBSRC There is much discussion of the world's Light is fundamental to the existence of demand for food being set to double in life and plays an increasingly important the next decades. Climate change's role in shaping society through medicine, impacts on farming are also increasingly American research suggests 11% of girls communications, entertainment and being felt. Farming is competing for have an eating disorder during their culture. In recognition of this, the United access to land and water, and its impacts teens. Boys are increasingly diagnosed, Nations has proclaimed 2015 as the on the natural environment (whether as we recognise that these are disorders International Year of Light and through habitat loss, impact on of obsessive weight-losing behaviour, Light-based Technologies. biodiversity, impact on water bodies or including compulsive exercise too. carbon emissions) are often highlighted This event will mark the start of the Year Anorexia nervosa has the highest from local to global levels. Is it possible by exploring all these different aspects mortality of any psychiatric disorders, to grow more food, sustainably, or do we of light; how it is used in science and whilst surviving sufferers and their need to change our expectations of what industry, how it impacts on modern families experience living hell. Dr Morris can be made available? society and influences our culture will discuss Scotland’s struggle to through ideas, art and technology. Joint lecture with the Scottish confront, prevent and manage these Consortium for Rural Research and conditions over the past 50 years and Organised in partnership with the the Society of Biology, Scotland examine the challenges ahead. Institute of Physics 4 resource WINTER 2014

Light (in the form of Optics) now carries Tuesday 17 March 2015 almost all our information over nearly all the distance it travels. The exponential RSE/RAEng LECTURE growth of data on the Internet relies on optical fibre and photonic technology. Light, Energy and the But handling that data requires power, in environmentally significant amounts, Internet with most of the energy dissipated for Professor David Miller CorrFRSE FRS communicating inside machines and data centres. New generations of integrated W M Keck Foundation Professor of photonic technology may solve that Electrical Engineering and Professor problem too, thereby sustaining society’s by Courtesy of Applied Physics, insatiable demand for data. Stanford University. Co-Director, This is a joint lecture with the Royal Standford Photonics Research Academy of Engineering. Center, Standford University CA

Monday 20 April 2015 Humanity depends upon fossil carbon, but with CO2 levels above 400 parts per at 6 pm million, the race is now on to develop better, cleaner energy systems. New methods are required to convert wind BP HUTTON PRIZE IN and sunlight to fuel, to store energy, ENERGY INNOVATION and to ensure fixation-activation of the atmospheric CO2. The solutions must LECTURE not only be cheap and scalable, but also socially and politically acceptable, if The Race for Clean humanity is going to prosper beyond Energy: Removing the the end of this century. In this lecture, Professor Cronin will Fossil from the Fuel describe his work at the fundamental, device and system levels, exploring new Professor Lee Cronin FRSC FRSE routes to solar fuels. Regius Chair of Chemistry, University of Glasgow

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, it would 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 for events. 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 problems using the new system.

5 resource WINTER 2014 The RSE Young Academy of Scotland Arts and Humanities at the Parliament On 8 October, the Young Academy brought together politicians, academics and practitioners to discuss: how Arts and Humanities research and practice can contribute to Scotland’s future by helping to address the challenges facing our society. This event, held in the Fairfax Somerville committee room at the 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, looking to promote Arts and Humanities research and practice. Professor Rob Dunbar, Pauline McLean (BBC), Dr Fiona Watson and Professor Christopher Whatley FRSE (pictured right below) made up the expert panel and all spoke eloquently about how they viewed the Arts and Humanities and their place within society. After a lively discussion around funding and recognition of arts and humanities projects, the event turned to the networking portion of the evening. This second hour also featured an exhibition of projects that show how research and innovation in the 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 and abroad. The Young Academy Arts and Humanities Working Group said: “Both sides in the Independence Referendum campaign talked about creating a better and fairer society in Scotland. Culture, heritage and creativity can help sustain relationships, foster ideas of identity and develop strong and resilient communities. Research and funding in this area is vital for addressing social inequality 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 further discussions 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 these questions in the coming years. The event brochure can be viewed at: www.youngacademyofscotland.org.uk/images/Arts_and_Hums_Brochure.pdf 6 resource WINTER 2014 Connecting Scotland’s Entrepreneurial Network On the evening of 2 October 2014, over 90 entrepreneurs from across Scotland gathered for the event ‘Connecting Scotland’s Entrepreneurial Network’ at the Royal Scots 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 models and challenges they face with a round table of participants with a range of relevant experiences and connections. Entrepreneurs benefited from the diversity of other participants with backgrounds across technology, life sciences, business, finance and marketing. Only time will tell, but the connections forged are expected to strengthen business propositions and stimulate new ventures. Twenty-four entrepreneurs had the opportunity to pitch their businesses and the standard of pitches was outstanding. The prize for the winning pitch went to Margot McBride (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 sustainable products 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 success of the evening”.

7 resource WINTER 2014 Grants for RSE Fellows Travel Grant to Mexico Professor 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 in May/June 2014. The aim of the visit was to build on earlier studies of the happy wren (Pheugopedius felix), with further work 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.

Travel Grant to Australia Professor 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 science agency. During a visit to Australia in June and July 2014, she was able to use an RSE travel grant to extend the length and scope of her activities. The majority of her time was spent in Melbourne, based at Monash 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. An exceptionally early breeding season in 2014 meant that the original plan had to be modified, but a large number of As a result of attendance at the ASC, Professor Scott received individuals were ringed and recorded and these data added invitations to visit the University of Western Australia in Perth substantially to the long term data that had previously been and the University of Wollangong, National Institute for collected on this species. In addition, the team carried out a Applied Statistics Research Australia (NIASRA). pilot experiment on song matching in two captive males, Other visits resulted in the development of several new and a more extensive study on whether the sounds of other research themes, linked to the new Urban Big Data Centre, species affect the timing of song. based in Glasgow and funded by ESRC. Two resulting new This was a fourth visit to Chamela by the research group and research directions are on: soil quality mapping using high the data obtained added considerably to existing knowledge resolution spectral images; and the development and of the species. It also added to the collaboration with benchmarking of urban indicators. researchers from UNAM and was useful training in handling birds, 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 research and scholarship. All Fellows and Young Academy Members, whether in employment or retired, are eligible to apply, other than those serving on Council and/or the Grants Committee, regardless of which organisation they are based in. Joint applications (between Young Academy Members and 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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Grant for Visiting Lecturer to Scotland Professor Bonnie Webber (below right) applied for a grant in order to bring Professor Barbara 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 at the Induction Ceremony on 19 May 2014, before Professor Grosz was welcomed to Fellowship by the President, and invited to sign the role. Whilst in Scotland, Professor Grosz gave lectures at the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh (also attended by researchers from the Department of Computer Science at Heriot-Watt University); the School of Computing, University of Dundee; and the Department of Computing Science, University of Aberdeen. At each site, researchers from 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 wasHealth Care Coordination and Health Literacy: The Need for Smart Multi-agent Systemsand 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.

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

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 shallow Professor Greated delivers lecture at Dalian University of Technology Panjin campus water and avoids expensive sea bed and land- based installations. Laboratory experiments were conducted in wave flumes at both Dalian and Edinburgh, to examine the practicalities of implementing 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 wave testing and energy and Scotland benefitted by gaining access to a wider scientific community and expertise in numerical modelling at DUT. Professor Greated and Dr Chen at the Edinburgh Flowave Tank 9 resource WINTER 2014 Fellows in Action Congratulations to Professor Professor Philip Schlesinger (r), Jean Marcel Tirole HonFRSE (r), Professor in Cultural Policy, Scientific Director, Institut University of Glasgow, has been d'Economie Industrielle (IDEI), appointed a non-executive Toulouse, who has been member of the Ofcom Content awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize Board to represent the people of in Economics for his analysis Scotland. He has been a member of market power and regulation. of Ofcom’s Advisory Committee Regulators and competition for Scotland since 2004 and its authorities have obtained Chairman since 2009, a role he "a whole new set of tools" will continue until the end of from Professor Tirole's work, 2014. His three-year appointment according to the Royal Swedish to the Content Board begins on Academy of Sciences, which 1 December 2014. announced the award.

In 1812, Telford wrote: “Having Something like a Spider’s Web measured the width of the river and learned the height to which the floods From RSE Fellow, Professor Roland Paxton MBE FICE’s lecture delivered rise, and having considered the nature in Craigellachie Village Hall on the Bicentenary of Craigellachie Bridge. 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 expense and 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 during the great flood of 1829, when other bridges down the length of the river were washed away but the Craigellachie arch survived. The figure (top left, facing page) illustrates the depth the water reached on that occasion and, in red, a notional idea of the larch centering used to support the ironwork during fixing in 1814. Craigellachie Bridge is technically outstanding as the world’s earliest surviving example of an innovative, light-weight, prefabricated cast iron Craigellachie Bridge soon after completion. Drawn and published by J. Grant, Elgin. ©Paxton bridge type, which made a significant contribution to Britain’s roads before the The Craigellachie Bridge is a cast iron arch bridge located at Craigellachie, near the railway age. With spans longer than then village of Aberlour in Moray, Scotland. It was designed by the renowned civil engineer practicable in stone, and exhibiting an Thomas Telford FRSE and built between 1812 and 1814. The bridge has a single span unparalleled combination of strength, of approximately 46 metres (151 ft) and was revolutionary for its time, in that it used economy and intuitive design. By 1830, an extremely slender arch which was not possible using traditional masonry the genre had been adopted in nearly construction. The ironwork was cast at the Plas Kynaston iron foundry at Cefn Mawr, half of all the world’s cast iron bridges near Ruabon in Denbighshire, by William Hazledine, who cast a number of Telford with spans over 32 m. It achieved a bridges. The ironwork was transported from the foundry through the Ellesmere Canal unique ‘spider’s web’ lightness by and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, then by sea to Speymouth, where it was loaded onto distributing forces throughout the wagons and taken to the site. Testing in the 1960s revealed that the cast iron had an whole framework, using high quality unusually high tensile strength. This was likely specified by Telford because, unlike in ductile castings of nearly half the tensile traditional masonry arch bridges, some elements of the arch and spandrel struts are strength of modern mild steel and, in not in compression under loading. At each end of the structure there are two 15 m addition to traffic loads, has been able (49 ft) high masonry mock-medieval towers, featuring arrow slits and miniature to accommodate a temperature range crenellated battlements. of movement of about one inch. 10 resource WINTER 2014

©Paxton

After 150 years of valuable service, In 2007, this A-listed bridge was dubbed an International Historic Civil Engineering surviving the great flood, deck Landmark and this was recognised at the bridge by the knowledge-promotion strengthening in 1902, and carrying plaque presented by the American Society of Civil Engineers and erected by Moray ‘extremely heavy’ military vehicles from Council on a masonry plinth. Professor Paxton worked to this end, on behalf 1939 to 1945, the bridge was closed for of the Panel for Historical Engineering Works of the Institution of Civil Engineers a major refurbishment in 1963–64. The and with support from Moray Council, local people and the American Society. bridge was reconstructed above its Professor Paxton is pictured below (on right) at the International plaque unveiling original ribs and cross-bracing, with care in 2007 with Dr Henry Petroski, American civil engineer, historian and author. taken to retain its original character. This involved replacement steel spandrels, deck beams and railings, but the original deck plates were retained to support a reinforced concrete deck. A 14 ton restriction was placed on the bridge at this point. This, along with the fact that the road to the north of the bridge takes a sharp right-angled turn against a 100 ft-tall excavated rock face, made it unsuitable for modern vehicles. Despite this, it carried foot and vehicle traffic across the River Spey until 1972, when ©Concorr its function was replaced by a steel and reinforced concrete bridge, which carries the A941 road today.

Since being bypassed in 1972, the bridge has received little maintenance. 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 bridge maintenance 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). 11 resource WINTER 2014 The RSE comments ....

Recognising that more than ten years The Resourcing of Science in Scottish Schools have passed since data were gathered The Learned Societies’ Group on Scottish Science Education about the funding of practical science in Scottish schools, the LSG determined that it should investigate the current resource allocated for delivering science education in Scottish schools. A further impetus to gather up-to-date information in Scotland was the work undertaken by the Science Community Representing Education (SCORE) on the resourcing of practical science at primary and secondary school levels in England. In 2013, that research highlighted an acute shortage in schools and sixth form colleges 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 commissioned Pye Tait Consulting to carry out a survey of state-maintained primary and secondary schools in Scotland to gather evidence on the resources allocated to the delivery of the science curriculum. The surveys generated responses from 39 individual primary schools and 46 individual secondary schools. The small samples 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 the findings on 12 November at the annual Science and the Parliament event at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. The results suggest that pupils in state schools in Scotland are not being provided with the science equipment and resources needed to meet the requirements of the curriculum. The findings indicate that the amount of money spent per pupil on science education for the Curriculum for Excellence in primary and secondary schools in Scotland is less than in England for their more traditional courses. The Learned Societies’ Group on Scottish developments; and stimulating debate The average annual spend on science Science Education (LSG) was established relating to these issues. in 2013/14 in Scottish primary schools in 2012. It arose from concerns about, was £1.62 per pupil. This compares Chaired by Professor Sally Brown OBE and an awareness of the need to with £2.89 in England in 2011/12, as contribute to, the major reforms in the FRSE, and coordinated by the RSE, other reported by SCORE. The situation is delivery of science education in Scottish members of the LSG are drawn from the: similar for the Scottish secondary schools. Its remit includes identifying Association for Science Education; British schools surveyed, with an average and promoting priorities for school Computer Society; Engineering Policy reported annual spend on science of science education in Scotland; Group in Scotland; Institute of Physics; £7.33 per pupil, compared to £10.12 monitoring and responding to school Royal Society of Chemistry; and Society in England as detailed in the SCORE science education initiatives and of Biology. findings. 12 resource WINTER 2014

Other key findings include 98% of The surveys indicate that teachers are insufficiently supported to teach science. In Scottish primary and secondary schools secondary schools, 44% reported being dissatisfied with levels of technician support, reporting that they have to draw on while confidence in teaching practical science is reported to be an issue in some external funding sources to support primary schools. practical science work. In secondary Teachers’ survey responses included the following: schools, teachers commonly contribute “Essentials such as stationary and reprographics take up a huge part of the budget, towards normal curricular activities then it’s annual consumables and replacing basics due to wear & tear. We never have from their own pockets. Results from funds within the budget to buy new innovative equipment or to fund trips”. secondary science departments further indicate that spending on reprographics “The majority of physics equipment is over 40 years old. It is damaged, broken or not accounts for more than double the working and far too expensive to replace. Unless all staff are confident to teach amount allocated for science science, equipment will not be requested or used”. equipment. The LSG intends to use the findings as it engages with local and national government, More than 80% of secondary schools school leaders, parents and industry bodies in efforts to ensure that school science is indicated that they are not confident sufficiently resourced and supported. The group believes that, given national policy of having enough equipment to deliver ambitions for enhancing and maintaining the vitality of Scotland's strong science base, it is important that priority is afforded to STEM (science, technology, practical science work effectively over engineering and mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools. the next two years. In primary schools, 45% of teachers reported having no The LSG summary of the main findings and Pye Tait’s full survey analysis are available access to safety equipment or to an from the LSG webpage on the RSE website: appropriate science resources area. www.royalsoced.org.uk/1076_LearnedSocietiesGrouponScottishScienceEducation.html

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13 resource WINTER 2014 The RSE comments .... Becoming a Good Food Nation: the RSE responds to the Europe 2020: The Way Ahead Scottish Government’s consultation on Scotland’s next food and drink policy

The RSE has called for a degree of realism on a proposed new national food and drink policy for Scotland. The Scottish Government’s consultation document set out a vision of Scotland as a ‘Good Food Nation’ and In October, the RSE also responded to identified a number the European Commission’s review of of priority areas for Europe 2020, the EU’s strategy for ‘smart, action, including food in the public sector, a children’s food policy, local food, good sustainable, inclusive’ growth. The strategy, food choices and continued economic growth. launched in 2010, sets out targets in five key areas of employment, research and Whilst welcoming the broad vision and agreeing that each of the priority areas is development, energy, education and important, the RSE suggests that the policy must recognise the long timescales poverty, to be achieved by 2020. required to make progress in changing some of Scotland’s most entrenched dietary habits and culture. Further, the policy must explicitly recognise that there are The RSE highlighted the need to consider potential conflicts between its goals, such as growth of the food and drink sector the context of this mid-way review, which and improved diets. comes at a time of rising Euro-scepticism and of change within both the European Other key points raised in the response include: Parliament and the Commission itself. • The benefits of taking an international perspective, drawing from experiences The refresh of Europe 2020 is a powerful across the UK, Europe and further afield, to allow Scotland to develop opportunity to reconnect with European well-informed, evidence-based initiatives from the outset. citizens; to re-assess the purpose of the EU; and agree the principles and added • That the establishment of a Food Commission could be a useful vehicle through value that guide EU action. which to drive progress towards the Good Food vision, but that this must be done with careful consideration of how the Commission would link with the numerous In addition, the effects of the economic bodies that already play a role in achieving the goals of the vision. crisis continue to be felt. The strategy calls for investment at all levels (regions, • That the RSE is particularly concerned about the broad allusion to the Food Member States, EU) in programmes that Commission having some responsibility for setting research priorities and calls for will contribute to growth, but this does clarity on how this would sit with the current management of integrated research not sit comfortably with the EU’s fiscal by the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical policy of austerity. Services Division (RESAS). The RSE sets out three principles that should shape the review of the strategy and 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: Read discussion document at: www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0045/00453219.pdf www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/advice- Read the full response: www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/advice-papers/2014/AP14_11.pdf papers/2014/AP14_12.pdf 14 resource WINTER 2014 Science and the Parliament 2014 Science 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 and senior 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 Panel discussions were held throughout universities in the world..... There has also been much change in Scottish education, the day as follows: with developments such as the Curriculum for Excellence and new National Qualifications; while post-Referendum we need to see how the infrastructure Science in Schools (pictured above, l-r) suporting research develops, with the consideration of further powers for the Dr Bill Beveridge, RSC Scottish Parliament and Government.” Bristow Muldoon (panel chair), RSC & RSE Vicki Butler, RSC Professor Sally Brown OBE, Chair of RSE Education Committee

MSP Question Time(pictured above, l-r) Clare Adamson Liz Smith Professor Alan Alexander OBE (panel chair), RSE General Secretary Elaine Murray Liam McArthur At the last session, four scientists spoke The keynote speaker at the event was new RSE President, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, on different aspects of education: pictured above (right) with Dr Alasdair Allan, Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Language and Professor Lesley Yellowlees CBE FRSE, past President of Creating Wealth from Investment in the RSC, both of whom also addressed the meeting. Science and Innovation Professor John Coggins OBE FRSE, Following this, prizes were awarded to pupils from schools throughout Scotland University of Glasgow by the RSC, the Society of Biology, the Institute of Physics and the Royal Scottish Society of Arts. The M in STEM Professor Martin McCoustra, Heriot-Watt University Workplace-ready degree programmes Dr Robin Westacott, Heriot-Watt University Science and the needs of industry Dr Allan Colquhoun, Selex ES. Closing remarks were made by Dr Matthew Brown, Head of Communications and Campaigns, RSC and the event concluded with an evening reception at which delegates had further opportunity to view the display stands of the 18 Photographs at Science and the Parliament by Gary Baker organisations represented at the event. 15 resource WINTER 2014 MacCormick European Lecture 2014 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 Hautes Etudes Scientifiques (IHES) from 1994 until 2013. He was also the first ERC Panel Chair in Mathematics, for Starting Grants. As well as delivering the MacCormick lecture, Professor Bourguignon followed a rigorous timetable throughout his three days in Scotland (23–25 November). Several meetings had been organised at the RSE and Professor Bourguignon had the opportunity to meet with researchers and grant holders from across Scotland and discuss various issues with them. Professor Bourguignon met first with young researchers and innovators selected from the Young Academy of Scotland, RSE postdoctoral research fellows (with EU funding), RSE Enterprise Fellows 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 time in discussion with several ERC grant holders in Scotland, before meeting with representatives from Edinburgh Napier University, Queen Margaret University, the Universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, St Andrews, Strathclyde and the West of Scotland and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In addition, during his time here, he was interviewed by Holyrood Magazine, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Scotland. Professor Bourguignon delivered his public lecture on Diversity and Interdependence in Science and Europe, Centuries of Enrichment and Struggle, to a full house in the RSE Wolfson Lecture Theatre, on the evening of 24 November. Professor Bell Burnell introduced the evening; an interesting question and answer session followed the lecture. 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

COPY ADDRESS INFORMATION Please send any copy to the Editor (Jenny Liddell) 22–26 GEORGE STREET website: www.royalsoced.org.uk at the Society – [email protected] EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND www.rsescotlandfoundation.org.uk ReSourcE: ISSN No 1473-7841 EH2 2PQ e-mail: [email protected] The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy, is Scottish Charity No. SC000470 Tel: 0131 240 5000 The RSE Scotland Foundation is a connected charity, registered in Scotland as Scottish Charity No. SC024636 Fax: 0131 240 5024 The RSE Scotland SCIO is a connected charity, registered in Scotland as Scottish Charity No. SC043194 Events ticketline: 0131 240 2780