National Science Panel

Statement of Purpose

6th April, 2006

1.0 Purpose

The Royal Society of New Zealand is constituted by legislation (The Royal Society of New Zealand Act 1997) and is a federation of independent groups and members. It has both the legal mandate, and the legitimacy derived from its widely representative scientific membership, to be an independent and authoritative voice for science in New Zealand.

Although New Zealand is a small country with limited resources, it can make unique contributions in specific fields of scientific endeavour. To do this effectively we need to better strategically plan our fundamental directions, infrastructure, funding, capability resources and science training.

The performance of the science system is measured by its contribution to our well-being, the health of the economy, social gain and by its contribution to the world’s knowledge base. This is a task that Council, through its elected members, needs to promote through enlisting the nation’s foremost scientists, engineers, health professionals, educationalists and other experts to address organisational, scientific and technological aspects of society’s most pressing problems. These include our national economic security, the security of our science organisations, how we measure scientific output and value, and how science education might better contribute to each of these issues.

Accordingly, given the importance of Research, Science and Technology (RS&T) to the nation, the Royal Society has decided to establish a National Science Panel (NSP). The NSP will work to identify barriers that limit the contribution that research, science and technology make in New Zealand and work to remove them. Its role will be to analyse RS&T issues and provide support to the Society’s stakeholders, government, private sector and the public on long-term science direction, infrastructure, capability, funding and training.

This document outlines the intended work and expected achievements of a Royal Society of New Zealand National Science Panel over the next three years. The Panel will commence operations in 2006.

2.0 Vision

A National Panel of high-calibre members that works to address the long-term strategic science needs of New Zealand society. Composed of the nation’s foremost scientists, engineers, health professionals and other experts, it will engage with science and business organisations, government and the public to realise the full contributions that science and technology can make to New Zealand’s future. The practice of science begins with educators, has its heart in nurturing creativity in our research-based institutions, and is seen by the community to be applied to: sustainable economic development; decisions on sustainable use of the natural environment; and maintenance of a healthy population, thus demonstrating clear social gains and improvements to well-being.

3.0 Stakeholders

Stakeholders are the parties that the Panel must work with. These include the science community, funding bodies, the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, Universities, Crown Research Institutes, other research-based organisations and the public at large. The Panel seeks to add value to stakeholders’ work: to assist researchers to undertake their research effectively and to a high standard and assist stakeholders to interact to collectively optimise the economic, social and environmental benefits of science.

4.0 Landscape

Key science goals for Government in the next term are encompassed in a recent statement from the Prime Minister (The Speech from the Throne, November, 2005):

“My government believes that science and innovation are critical to driving our prosperity.”

Such prosperity, its associated high standards of living and resilience to long term environmental change, will be achieved through the efforts of many parties and, critically, through the development and application of scientific and technological knowledge and techniques across the New Zealand public and private sectors..

The Royal Society is committed to working towards sustainable and inclusive economic development. The quality of evidence on which Government bases science goals, optimal institutional structures, action strategies and plans, and evaluates their successes is, however, crucial. No less important is the requirement for full engagement of the science and technology sector.

Ongoing change to our science system needs to be based on strong analytical thinking that: takes into account the reasons for change, sets out a clear and acceptable pathway for successful implementation, and is followed by careful monitoring of results and their contribution to desired outcomes. These not only include consideration of efficiency measures and the minimisation of compliance costs, but also importantly, the likelihood that they will produce improved working conditions for scientists and enhanced RS&T creativity.

As a result of extensive and in-depth consultations with interested stakeholders, and after careful review of the current environment and foreseeable trends, the Society has concluded there is a clear need for such an independent, expert advisory panel and that the Society is the appropriate body to sponsor it.

5.0 Private sector

Research has traditionally been considered the domain of Universities, Crown Research Institutes and private research institutions. The research capacity of the private sector has largely been a silent voice in New Zealand despite the funding initiatives established by government to support emerging industries. If science is to be widely applied across our community the private sector must be engaged by the NSP.

6.0 Funding

The Royal Society of New Zealand will initially sponsor and fund the National Science Panel. The Society will work towards establishing a funding process to ensure the on-going operation of the Panel.

7.0 Relationship with the Royal Society

The Society will establish the Panel’s Terms of Reference to ensure its intellectual independence from stakeholders’ interests. Where issues are contentious, assessments would be sought from a wide range of different points of view to ensure thorough and even-handed canvassing of evidence. This is essential to assure the Panel’s credibility as an independent, rigorous and non–partisan participant in the process of developing science-related information and advice.

8.0 Terms of reference

8.1 Scope

To provide independent leadership in New Zealand science by developing a long-term strategic view of science infrastructure, direction, retention of an appropriately-skilled workforce, growing capacity in response to new opportunities and encouraging working environments that nurture creativity.
To develop an ongoing audit process of New Zealand’s science system and science funding patterns.
To organise and put into effect high quality and timely reports and recommendations on public policy as it pertains to science.
To complement these with an ongoing assessment of the social and economic value of scientific output.

8.2 Composition

The Panel will normally comprise 12 members, with the ability to co-opt up to two more members. This may include international members.
The members will be eminent and respected people with proven leadership qualities and a broad, non-parochial view of the S&T system in New Zealand.
The Panel members will be selected to represent a balanced view of science and its position in New Zealand and at least half will come from the science community.

8.3 Appointment procedures

The Panel will be appointed by the Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand. There will be an open procedure for nominations, including:

Recommendation by Councillors and Fellows.
An open call for expressions of interest and nominations, through Science Alert and other communications.
Letters to specified science organisations, inviting expressions of interest and nominations.

Panel members would be appointed by Council for a specific term, initially for 2 to 4 years with the duration of initial appointments staggered. Thereafter appointments will be for a 3 to 5 year term with review after 3 years. A formal letter of appointment will be sent, outlining the appointee’s role, responsibilities and expectations.

8.4 Reporting

The Panel must produce an annual operations report to the Council for inclusion in the Annual Report of the Society. This report will focus on activities, results achieved, and will include a future work plan for the information of the Society Council.

The Panel must prepare a Strategic Plan every three years, reporting this to Council. The Panel will normally retain the obligation to publish their findings where work is contracted from government and/or private sector bodies.

8.5 Executive support

The Society will provide ongoing support to the Panel that will include research communications, secretarial, and policy advisory services.

The Society will routinely review the structure, financing, staff, effectiveness and continuation of the Panel. It may review other aspects of the Panel’s operations or performance at any time, as appropriate.

9.0 Realising the vision

The overall outcome, to which the work of the National Science Panel will contribute, is to provide sound evidence and well-supported analyses that are the basis for science policy decisions by the government, its agencies, and other stakeholders. This overall outcome requires the RS&T system as a whole, and the Panel in particular, to understand Government decision-making processes and to incorporate changing political and public concerns in its deliberations.

The Panel exists to make a difference. Important results that might be expected from the Panel’s work, together with impacts are as follows:

9.1 Result: Better-informed public policy discussion on science related policy issues

A key measure of the Panel’s effectiveness in providing science policy-related information and influencing the decision making processes will be the provision to stakeholders and key decision makers of high quality, peer-reviewed, published information and assessments by the Panel. Clearly, public policy decisions about science-related initiatives must include consideration of wider issues and values but decision-makers must have available to them the highest quality, independent, impartial analysis on science-related issues.

How would we know impacts are made?

A major indicator that the Panel is operating effectively is that the discussion of science policy is grounded on evidence provided by the Panel – evidence that is authoritative, expert, and disinterested. A measure of effective input to decision making will be the extent to which decision-making related to the RS&T sector reflects Panel information and assessments.

9.2 Result: RS&T demonstrably improves its contribution to the development of the New Zealand economy and society

Currently, Government expects that RS&T should contribute more to New Zealand’s economic development. A wide number of stakeholders in the RS&T system believe that a number of fundamental problems are hampering the realisation of this expectation. They further believe that identification and resolution of these problems can be achieved through significantly improving the quality of the evidence and analysis that will substantially improve the contribution RS&T makes to society.

How would we know impacts are made?

Uptake of the Panel’s work by decision-makers will have resulted in the RS&T system, the education system, and the public and private sectors demonstrably working together to develop New Zealand’s economy, in the broadest sense. Evidence of this will come from system monitoring and may include, for example, increased training and retention of engineering and science graduates; high levels of confidence in engineering and science as a career in New Zealand; increased numbers of science graduates gaining business education, a larger range of innovative, high-value exports, improved export receipts, self-sufficiency in energy, high proportion of energy needs from renewable sources, increased efficiency in energy use, a reduction in costs of natural disasters, better management of the economic impacts of climate variability and change, increasingly sustainable use of natural resources, a reduction in environmental damage from business activities, and improved health outcomes to name a few.

9.3 Result: Private sector is seen to be a major contributor to New Zealand’s science capacity

Currently, the private sector is not a significant voice in science policy and private sector science capacity is poorly analysed and understood.

How would we know impacts are made?

The private sector, including emerging and established companies activity contribute to the debate of science direction, infrastructure, emerging needs and shaping the future interactions of Universities and Crown Research Institutes to innovative business, environmental sustainability and social well-being.

J.D. Watson
President Royal Society of New Zealand

April 6, 2006.