The Science Policy Support Group (SPSG) was set up in 1986 on the initiative of the ESRC. It is now a non-profit company, registered as a charity, whose aims are to promote the application of science, technology and innovation studies to policy, practice and management in Europe. SPSG works as a virtual organisation, managing research programmes and networks of academics in a range of institutions. Its current programmes are:
Coordination (with Dr Alan Irwin of Brunel University) of an ESRC New Opportunities Programme whose aims are to: review and re-state the definition of the topic and to collate, analyse and report on the current state of social science based knowledge; improve the flow of findings and ideas from research to policy and practice, and also between users, potential users and beneficiaries (on the one hand) and researchers; to consider and report on the future research agenda, taking account of the views of users and beneficiaries as well as those of social scientists
A public understanding of science website which uses the metaphor of the city to show information, issues and institutions involved in UK science, engineering and technology. Initially sponsored by EPSRC, BT, GPT and Middlesex and Huddersfield Universities.
Directed by Professor Philip Gummett, University of Manchester. A ten country European network on issues of defence technology management, dual use and conversion sponsored by the European Commission between 1998 -2000 to work as a thematic network METDAC under the TSER programme.
An ESRC research programme directed by Peter Healey. The programme has concentrated on four themes whose results are now being reported: European Regulation and the Science Base, Human Resources/Labour Market issues in European S&T, The Evaluation of Collaboration and Networking in European S&T, and Managing Knowledge Flows for Innovation in Europe.
PARIS - a new programme directed by Professor Harry Rothman of the University of West England at Bristol - stands for Policy Analysis and Resource Indicators in Strategy for Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation. Professor Rothman and Mr Healey are working with colleagues from SRI International on work funded by the US National Science Foundation on the evaluation of strategic capacity in national research systems. They are hoping to do wider work on this topic in Europe, Asia and North America with a world team of analysts put together in cooperation with SRI.