OU researchers took part in the annual Voice of the Future event organised by the Society of Biology during national science and engineering week in March (2013). The event provided young researchers with the opportunity to engage with parliamentarians in Westminster.
The OU was represented by three researchers:
• Delphine Oben, a second year PhD student whose research is on Silica nanoparticles for material applications
• Louisa Preston, a postdoctoral Research Associate in Astrobiology and a TED 2013 Fellow
• Angela Noufaily, Research Associate in Statistics in MCT;
The event was introduced by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon John Bercow MP. There were four panel sessions and researchers got to quiz senior politicians and advisers on science and engineering policy and evidence-based policy-making.
Panellists in the Select Committee-style evidence session included:
• Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills
• Shabana Mahmood MP, Shadow Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills
• Members of the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, including Chair Andrew Miller MP
• Sir John Beddington, (the now former) Government Chief Scientific Adviser and The Chief Scientific Adviser to Department for Business Innovation and Skills, Professor John Perkins.
Louisa said :“The Voice of the Future Event (VOTF) 2013 was a fantastic chance for early career researchers to learn more about the funding situation in the UK for science from the Science and Technology Committee members, and Rt Hon David Willetts MP himself. “It was heartening and sad at the same time to hear that early career scientists all suffer from the same problems navigating through our careers, but happy to know that the Select Committee are listening and trying to help.”
Delphine added:“It was good to meet with the minister for Universities, the Rt Hon David Willetts MP and the other committee members to tackle issues on science and engineering now and for the future. The questions asked were well answered and it was also great to know that the questions from young scientists/engineers were similar across the different institutions that were present.”
Angela commented: “It was an interesting experience where we got to meet researchers from various UK institutions…we also met the politicians face to face and saw how it feels being inside the event rather than an observer;
The Science and Technology Committee Chair, Andrew Miller MP, tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) recognising the impact of the Voice of the Future which seeks to build and maintain a constructive dialogue between Parliament and the younger generation of scientists and engineers. He referenced all the organisations involved including the OU.
For the list of signatories and a copy of the text
Listen to a broadcast of the event.
Picture: Left to right - Delphine Oben, Angela Noufaily and Louisa Preston