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.
Findings from the CCC’s Citizen’s Panel on Net Zero
Findings from the Climate Change Committee's Citizen's Panel on net zero have been published today (26 February 2025). We were delighted to support this [...]
AI in Policing
Author: Sally Halls, Head of CoLab, Policy and Innovation Lab for the Home Office We recently kicked off a public dialogue around how police forces [...]
Public perceptions of ultra-processed foods
Many people are uncertain about what ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are or whether they are safe, according to a new Sciencewise report, produced by the British [...]
Securing Local Buy-in to Make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower
Author: Anna Beckett The mission to "make Britain a clean energy superpower with zero-carbon electricity by 2030" while resolving economic inequality has a strong [...]
Climate Change Adaptation? Just Do It! – Commissioner reflections
Authors: Kathryn Brown, Director of Climate Change and Evidence (The Wildlife Trusts) & Rachel Brisley Head of Energy and Environment (Ipsos) Sorting out the policy [...]
Celebrating 20 years of Sciencewise – a new programme in the making
As the Sciencewise programme enters a new period, outgoing Sciencewise Programme Director — Sarah Castell — shares some words of thanks and reflections on [...]
Smart Data Research Commissioner Reflections: Empowering the Public’s Voice
Author: Joe Cuddeford, Director of Smart Data Research UK In an era where data is ubiquitous and AI is revolutionising our lives, Smart Data [...]
Public views – the missing piece of the policy puzzle: commissioner reflections
All images courtesy of Cambridge Reproduction Author: Christina Rozeik, G-SCBEM Project Manager and the Programme Manager for Cambridge Reproduction How do you regulate a [...]
Public dialogue on trust in digital identity services: Commissioner Reflections
Author: Hannah Rutter - Deputy Director, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Digital identities let people prove things about themselves, such as their age or [...]
Public perceptions of engineering biology (food)
In early 2023, engineering biology was identified by the UK Government as one of five critical technologies. This means that engineering biology has been prioritised [...]
We need more public dialogue around fundamental research
Author: Dr Michael Norman, Public Engagement Manager / Public Dialogue Co-Coordinator, Babraham Institute / Human Developmental Biology Initiative. Mike co-ordinated the public dialogue on early [...]
Public perceptions of engineering biology (health)
In early 2023, engineering biology was identified by the UK Government as one of five critical technologies. This means that engineering biology has been prioritised [...]
Biomass & BECCS Public Dialogue: Commissioner Reflections
Biomass, defined as any material of biological origin, is a versatile resource that can be used in multiple ways across different technologies and is an [...]
Using public dialogue to inform strategic areas of public policy
Author: Nina Grassmann, Senior Social and Behavioural Scientist and Jack Snape, Head of Foresight, Government Office for Science. The Government Office for Science’s recently published [...]
Use of specialists in dialogue – part 1
Whose expert? Sciencewise dialogues require expertise of different types. Specialist input can enrich and expand participants' approach to a topic and add credibility and robustness [...]
How much do you think about where your food comes from?
Is it, as one of the participants in our recent public dialogue said: ‘something that, sort of, you’re aware of, but you try and ignore [...]
Why and how to involve the public in thinking about our future?
Government policy impacts the publics’ lives in wide-ranging ways, immediately and over years to come. However, thinking about this future impact requires time, space, and [...]
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 [...]