Title: What is the future SHAPE of science policy?

Abstract:

The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. We use the term SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy) as a collective way to refer to the disciplines we represent. Last year we published Understanding SHAPE in R&D, a culmination of long-term research by the Academy which emphasises the need for a robust evidence base to understand the breadth of R&D activity across the UK economy – including improved measurement of SHAPE R&D. Using this piece of work as a jumping off point, I will outline a range of activities the Academy is undertaking to make the case for a UK science policy that better reflects the breadth of scientific and research activity needed for a successful innovation system. This will feed into a discussion - what is the future SHAPE of science policy, and what can research like that at SPRU do to help develop this?

Bio:

Dr Molly Morgan Jones is the Director of Policy at The British Academy. Molly provides strategic direction and oversight for all the Academy’s policy work and activities, on topics ranging from research, innovation and skills policy, with a particular focus on the humanities and social sciences, to policy programmes on digital societies, sustainability, governance and trust, social and cultural infrastructure and global (dis)order. Prior to joining the Academy, Molly worked at RAND Europe on research and innovation policy. Molly has also worked for the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She has a DPhil from SPRU and a BA in Biology from Northwestern University.