Now that the dust has settled in the UK from the referendum on leaving the European Union, it's time for RAS Fellows working in research to assess how their field is being affected - and provide evidence for scrutiny by Parliament.
Now that the dust has settled in the UK from the referendum on leaving the European Union, it's time for RAS Fellows working in research to assess how their field is being affected - and provide evidence for scrutiny by Parliament.
The RAS is collecting your evidence about how the Brexit vote is affecting your research and asks fellows to help by contacting their MP with their concerns. The Commons Science and Technology Committee have announced an inquiry into the implications and opportunities for science and research that result from leaving the EU. The RAS will of course be responding to this, but needs to hear your concerns and ideas to shape that evidence. Contact Robert Massey (rm@ras.org.uk) with any information.
In a separate appeal, STFC are also looking for information. Paul O'Brien, Chair of the Astronomy Advisory Panel, requests your help in providing information to the STFC Science Board regarding the balance of programmes within the Astronomy Area.
The AAP is responsible for providing scientific advice on all aspects of the astronomy programme, including science (observation and theory), facilities (on the ground and in space), technology, high performance computing, laboratory astrophysics and data curation. As the STFC science advisory structure also provides scientific advice to the UK Space Agency, the AAP will consider all ground and space-based astronomical facilities.
The AAP invite members of the astronomy community to respond to a questionnaire which includes questions on science themes and questions, and facilities representing the current and near-future scientific priorities for UK Astronomy. The information from this questionnaire will be summarised by the AAP and provided to the STFC Science Board as a report in autumn 2016. Science Board will combine the information with that provided by other parts of the advisory structure.
Please submit your views via this survey, which has a closing date of 22 August 2016
https://stfc.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/aapquestionnaire2016
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