What we are up to
We are currently developing and supporting dialogue projects on rapidly emerging areas of science and technology, such as autonomous vehicles, the use of data and genomic medicine.
Find out more about these projects below.
People, communities and climate technology |Public views on climate technologies and opportunities for future public dialogue
This report aims to outline what is known about public views and values on emerging climate technologies, and to identify gaps and areas for further [...]
How should we shape our digital world? Insights from a decade of Sciencewise supported dialogues
Today, we continue our series of blogs looking at public views on the four themes that guide our work. A quick reminder of these themes: [...]
How should society shape the future of life? Insights from a decade of Sciencewise public dialogues
How should we shape the future of life? Today, we continue our series of blogs looking at public views on the four themes that guide [...]
How should we live healthy lives? Insights from a decade of Sciencewise public dialogues
Today continues our series of blogs looking at public views on the four themes that guide our work. A quick reminder of these themes: Climate [...]
How can we live sustainably? Insights from a decade of Sciencewise public dialogues
Today continues our series of blogs looking at public views on the four themes that guide our work. A quick reminder of these themes: Climate [...]
What do the public believe and want on UK science and tech? Reflections on 10 years of Sciencewise, and over 50 public dialogues.
Sciencewise has had a major impact on UK science and technology policy. The programme has helped government departments, research councils and scientific institutions explore challenging [...]
Do Sciencewise’s public dialogues work to make better research, better policy, and deliver a better future?
Since 2006, the UKRI’s Sciencewise programme has supported over 60 public dialogues, working across over 20 government departments and research agencies, and 1,000s of members [...]
How to run a public dialogue on technologies that don’t yet exist? – it’s never too early to engage
Future Flight context and the need for public dialogue How can you run a public dialogue about technologies which don’t yet exist? The UKRI Future [...]
Sharing insights from the Sciencewise programme and projects: lunch and learn webinar series
Over the years Sciencewise has supported over 70 public dialogues and currently supports about 5 major public dialogues a year. As part of sharing the [...]
Exploring new approaches to data stewardship for AI in healthcare
The NHS AI Lab, with the support of Sciencewise, has commissioned a public dialogue that will explore new approaches to data stewardship for artificial intelligence [...]
The view from a regulator in a public dialogue process
Sciencewise is grateful to Matthew Rice, Senior Policy Officer Innovation at the Information Commissioner’s Office, for this blog reflecting on his role on the Oversight Group [...]
Future flight technologies
Landmark public dialogue and new funding give the public a real stake in the future development and regulation of emerging aviation technology in the UK. [...]
Biomass & BECCS public dialogue
In March 2022 the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and its partners (Sciencewise and UKRI) commissioned a public dialogue to explore public [...]
New Sciencewise report – Tomorrow’s tech, today: public opinion on emerging technology and opportunities for future engagement
Emerging technologies promise to transform our world. People will encounter them as biological, physical, digital and virtual interventions in our lives, and the impacts will [...]
Sciencewise learning webinar
In April 2022 Sciencewise held a webinar: Public Dialogue and the Policy Cycle - a learning webinar from UKRI's Sciencewise Programme. Attendees were able to [...]
New public dialogue to explore views on genome editing in farmed animals
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC – part of UK Research and Innovation, UKRI) and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, with the support [...]
Evaluation: How it shaped the public dialogue on location data ethics
Author: Sophie Reid, Independent Evaluator - Independent public dialogue on location data ethics (This is a cross-post from the Geospatial Commission blog. We are grateful to [...]
Telling the story of a genomics dialogue
Author: Simon Wilde, Engagement Director at Genomics England Genomics England’s second foray into Sciencewise-funded public dialogue is now complete. The result is a fascinating and [...]
How to listen and act on diverse voices to shape key research and innovation priorities?
Author: Sciencewise's Programme Director, Simon Burall How to listen and act on diverse voices to shape key research and innovation priorities? Popular reviews of the [...]
Public want government to urgently correct the UK’s ‘upside-down food system’ to make it healthier for nature, people and the planet, says new UKRI Sciencewise dialogue
Ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit and UN Climate Summit (COP26), the full findings of a UKRI Sciencewise public dialogue commissioned by Defra have [...]
New public dialogue on Modular Nuclear Technologies suggests public has more concerns than hopes about nuclear technology
The term Modular Nuclear Technologies (MNT) encompasses the next generation of nuclear technologies: Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs). In the 2020 [...]
New public dialogue finds public giving conditional support to the roll-out of carbon capture usage and storage
Participants in a new public dialogue generally supported the use of carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) as part of a pathway to meeting net [...]
New dialogue to improve housing in England and inform Good Homes Inquiry
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of people have spent more time at home than ever before and the impact of [...]
Major New Public Dialogue on Ethics of Location Data Launched
The Geospatial Commission was established in 2018 as an expert committee in the Cabinet Office responsible for setting the UK’s geospatial strategy. In March [...]
Whole genome sequencing for newborn screening: public dialogue reports key messages on what needs to be in place moving forwards
The public dialogue commissioned by Genomics England, the UK National Screening Committee and UK Research and Innovation’s Sciencewise programme finds that members of the [...]