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Science Policy Newsletter – a weekly round-up of policy headlines and stories

19 June 2020

This newsletter provides links to published news articles, preserving the original title and summary line. Views or opinions presented are those of the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Royal Society of Biology.

News Royal Society of Biology news

RSB and ITN Productions partner for 2020 programme on Biology for the Future The Royal Society of Biology (RSB) and ITN Productions are again partnering to deliver a new documentary, highlighting the importance and breadth of the biosciences.

RSB’s impact on science and education policy Since 2009, the RSB has published over 200 policy outputs, covering a variety of topics. Find out more about the process of presenting our members’ expertise to policy-makers, and view a range of case studies showing the direct impact of our science and education policy work at www.rsb.org.uk/policy-work.

For more on RSB’s science policy impact, see our anniversary impact infographic.

COVID-19 Bulletin For further detail on COVID-19 research, news and updates, RSB has developed a periodic bulletin collating some of the bioscience behind the outbreak and response, see our webpages to read previous editions and subscribe to the next.

Main RSB webpage on COVID-19 The RSB is working to adapt and ensure our services are delivered to the greatest extent possible whilst also taking into account Public Health England and Government advice during the pandemic. We regularly update this webpage with relevant information about our activities, initiatives and community support.

Royal Society of Biology’s Higher Education Bioscience Teacher of the Year 2020 announced The Royal Society of Biology Heads of University Biosciences (HUBS) have named Dr Sue Jones, associate head of school: biosciences at York St. John University, as winner of the HE Bioscience Teacher of the Year Award 2020.

Health and biomedicine

Government-funded Imperial College COVID-19 vaccine moves into first human trials Clinical researchers will begin human trials of a new coronavirus vaccine developed by researchers at Imperial College London.

Why children avoid the worst coronavirus complications might lie in their arteries Evidence is mounting that healthy blood vessels protect children from serious effects of COVID-19, such as stroke.

International societies call on researchers to apply clinical pharmacology principles in search for safe and effective treatments for COVID-19 The British Pharmacological Society and the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists have published a joint international statement calling on researchers to apply clinical pharmacology principles in search for safe and effective treatments for COVID-19. The statement was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and endorsed by organisations across the world.

Contact tracing is working around the world – here’s what the UK needs to do to succeed too

We need COVID-19 treatments as well as vaccines – and they have to work for everyone Effective treatments, that are accessible to everyone who needs them, have to be part of the solution to the coronavirus pandemic – here's why.

Lab-grown cells mimic crucial moment in embryo development Nature research news - artificial structures developed the rudimentary components of a heart and nervous system.

How sensitive you are may be partly down to your genes – new research Researchers have looked at data collected from more than 2,800 identical and non-identical twins from the UK who have taken part in the Twins Early Development Study in order to investigate the heritability of sensitivity and how it relates to other personality traits.

Food and drink

A resilient UK food system The food system underpins many aspects of our society. It feeds us and shapes the economic, social and natural environments that we live in. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of resilience in the food system. This POSTnote defines resilience and why it is needed, describes what a more resilient UK food system would look like and explores possible ways of achieving this.

World faces worst food crisis for at least 50 years, UN warns Governments urged to act to avoid disaster from recession caused by coronavirus

Agriculture and fisheries

Emissions from 13 dairy firms match those of entire UK, says report Exclusive: Milk giants’ climate impact rising and production caps needed, say researchers

Environment and ecology

Nature crisis: New global extinction target proposed The world needs a single goal for fighting the loss of nature, much like the 1.5C target for climate change, according to conservation experts.

A biodiversity target based on species extinctions In this blog, Professor Richard Gregory (Head of Monitoring, Conservation Science, RSPB) describes a new paper, on which he is a co-author, that proposes a single target for the recovery of nature to inform a quickening debate on global biodiversity goals. This is set in the context of the RSPB’s hopes for the post- 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, why bats need our backup – not our blame. Already maligned and misunderstood, the coronavirus crisis has done little to improve attitudes towards bats. Yet as these experts reveal, they’re vital for the health of the planet – and us.

Waste

Making coal from food waste, garden cuttings – and even human sewage Food waste, garden cuttings, manure, and even human sewage can be turned into solid biocoal for energy generation, and, if scaled up, could help match the industrial demand for carbon with the need to get rid of organic waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Coronavirus: wastewater can tell us where the next outbreak will be

Animal Research

How STRANGE are your study animals? A new framework for animal-behaviour research will help to avoid sampling bias — ten years on from the call to widen the pool of human participants in psychology studies beyond the WEIRD.

Pine martens dash hopes of curbing grey squirrels by avoiding city Belfast study finds pine martens don’t venture into urban areas, where invasive grey squirrels thrive

Research funding and higher education policy

HE financial crisis risks ‘lost generation of researchers’ Support for early career scholars must be explored to avoid research being damaged in the long term, experts warn

New report will support UKRI's commitment to strengthening research integrity and culture

Crisis ‘may have impacted’ UK student perceptions of value already Hepi/Advance HE annual survey highlights small decline in satisfaction following crisis-driven shift to online teaching

Schools education policy

Education during COVID-19 An RSB webpage listing advice, resources and announcements for schools, students and parents during COVID-19 pandemic (last updated 18 June 2020).

Four in 10 pupils have had little contact with teachers during lockdown Two separate studies raise fears that millions of children, particularly in state schools, have done almost no work at all

Primary schools to be given flexibility to bring back more pupils Headteachers are being encouraged to invite back more primary pupils before the summer, where they have capacity to do so

Diversity and inclusion

Supporting Black, Asian and minority ethnic students during the coronavirus pandemic Josh Callander discusses our recent event on supporting Black, Asian and minority ethnic students during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Systemic racism: science must listen, learn and change Nature commits to working to end anti-Black practices in research.

Digital technologies

Coronavirus has forced us to embrace digital healthcare – it could transform how we look after patients

International news

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Situation Dashboard

Latin American scientists join the coronavirus vaccine race: ‘No one’s coming to rescue us’ Researchers fear that breakthroughs from abroad will be too slow or inequitably shared to benefit the global south.

Red pandas tracked by satellite in conservation 'milestone' Conservationists are satellite tracking red pandas in the mountains of Nepal to find out more about the factors that are driving them towards extinction.

Opinion

Don’t lose focus on diseases of poverty in COVID-19 crisis Most zoonotic diseases are not world-stopping, but a daily reality for millions, write Eric Fèvre and Naomi Marks.

What have we done? How not to be complicit in racism In the wake of worldwide #BlackLivesMatter demonstrations, Randall Whittaker calls for structural change fuelled by lived experience.

Covid-19 and wildlife research ethics The Covid-19 crisis is foregrounding long-standing questions about wildlife research ethics and nature- society relationships. People

Joining the pandemic response With coronavirus hitting the UK, Arron Watson tells us why he swapped microscopes and aquatic invertebrates for a role on the incident team at the Environment Agency.

Behind the Byline With Ed Yong Learn more about Ed Yong, a staff writer who covers science, and how he approaches his work.

Educational comic artist Jaye Gardiner Opportunities

RSB outreach activities at online festival Families will now be able to take part in some RSB simple hands-on science activities as part of the Hullabaloo At Home festival 2020. The festival on 20 – 21 June 2020, would normally take place on the Isle of Wight and will now be an online event for everyone. The festival features the arts, sciences, and IOW heritage, it includes an online carnival with seaside traditions, all from the comfort of your own home.

RSB launches COVID-19 Impact Survey The Society has launched a survey to find out more about how the bioscience community has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. If you can, please do fill in this short survey to help inform how we support the research community now and in the future.

How you can help with COVID-19 An RSB webpage collating routes through which individuals and businesses can offer their help to support the national effort to respond to the spread of COVID-19.

Imperial COVID-19 Lockdown Lessons Aimed at students aged 16-18, join Professor Sara Rankin for a webinar series where she’ll be chatting with Imperial researchers to find out more about the work they’re doing to combat COVID-19.

Blinding eLearning resource The British Pharmacological Society supports in vivo education and training and recognises the need to close the skills gaps across the sector. The free to use resource is aimed at undergraduates on bioscience degrees and aims to support the teaching and learning of blinding in experimental design.

RSB Outreach and Engagement Award 2020 Are you a bioscience researcher involved in science communication? If you work in any sector of UK biosciences, apply for the Royal Society of Biology Outreach and Engagement Award 2020 and win up to £1500. Closes: 26 June 2020

Royal Society of Biology Photography Competition 2020 ‘Our changing world’ is the theme of this year’s Royal Society of Biology Photography Competition. Life on Earth is dynamic and we invite you to capture these transformations. The competition has two age categories each with a cash prize: 18 and over (£1000) and under 18s (£500). Closes: 24 July 2020

The Nancy Rothwell Award 2020 The Nancy Rothwell Award 2020 specimen drawing competition for 7 – 18 year olds is now open for submissions. Prizes include an experience day at the Royal Veterinary College for students, and their school can also win £100. Visit the Royal Society of Biology website for more information. Closes: 31 July 2020

Consultations

Survey on the use of models in research UKRI-BBSRC is consulting the research community (including academic, industrial and other researchers) on their current use of experimental systems or models for human and animal research, as well as their future perspectives. Closes: 28 June 2020

A new UK research funding agency The Government has declared it intends to create a new agency to be “broadly modelled” on the US ARPA, which will provide long term funding to support visionary high-risk, high-pay off scientific, engineering, and technology ideas. The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee will inquire formally into the nature and purpose of this new UK research funding agency and invites written submissions. The RSB response to this consultation is currently in draft. Please contact [email protected] for more information and if you would like to contribute. Closes: 30 June 2020

The science of COVID-19 The Science and Technology Committee (Lords) is investigating the scientific and technological aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the nature of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, its transmission and spread, the development of vaccines and treatments, and how digital technologies can be used for tracking and modelling. The inquiry aims to help Government and society learn from the pandemic and better prepare for future epidemics. Closes: 30 June 2020

UK Science, Research and Technology Capability and Influence in Global Disease Outbreaks The Science and Technology Committee will inquire formally into the place of UK research, science and technology in the national and global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and what lessons should be learned for the future. If you plan to submit evidence, please let us know by emailing [email protected]. Closes: 31 July 2020

Plastic Packaging Tax: policy design This consultation seeks views on areas of the Plastic Packaging Tax which have been further refined as we move closer to the implementation date of April 2022. Closes: 20 August 2020

River basin planning: Challenges and Choices The Environment Agency is holding a consultation to gather views on the challenges our waters face and the choices we all need to make to help tackle those challenges. Closes: 24 September 2020

RSB Policy Resource Library now online The RSB has created a searchable, digital library of more than 800 statements, responses, briefings and other policy resources produced by the RSB and our Member Organisations across the biosciences. This collection is freely and openly accessible to everyone, including members and non-members, through the mySociety portal (no registration necessary).

Events

The Foundation for Science and Technology presents: The new normal for business post- coronavirus – supply chains and resilience 22 June 2020 18:00 – 19:00 BST via Zoom This online event will focus on how businesses may establish a new “normal” as they emerge from coronavirus, and in particular in the area of supply chains. To what extent will a desire or need for resilience in supply chains alter the very globalised nature of some industries? And what if anything should the UK government be doing to support UK industry in this?

The RSB has postponed all in person events due to take place before 1st September 2020. We will aim to reschedule, or hold virtually, all cancelled events where possible, and updated information will be made available on the RSB events pages. These events will hopefully run later in year or in 2021. We are aware that a number of events previously advertised in the Science Policy Newsletter have been cancelled owing to the novel coronavirus Covid-19. We recommend also checking other external event webpages for updates and continuing to monitor and follow official advice.

And finally...

This frog’s babies erupt out of its back—and other surprising ways animals give birth Mammals aren't alone—some reptiles, amphibians, and insects give birth to live young.

Royal Society of Biology Please note that any views or Science Policy Team opinions presented in this email 1 Naoroji Street are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those London of the Royal Society of Biology. WC1X 0GB [email protected]

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