Advisory Council on Scientific Policy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Company type | Government body |
|---|---|
| Industry | Science policy |
| Founded | 1947 |
| Founder | Lord President of the Council |
| Defunct | 1964 |
| Successor | Council for Scientific Policy |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Key people | Sir Henry Tiizard, Sir Solly Zuckerman, Professor A. R. Todd (Lord Todd) |
| Services | Science policy advice |
| Owner | UK Government |
| Members | Initially 13 |
The Advisory Council on Scientific Policy was a UK Government body established in 1947. It had a duty to advise the Lord President of the council on his responsibilities in the formulation and execution of Government scientific policy. It was dissolved in 1964 when its responsibilities devolved to the Council for Scientific Policy.
By 1945 a number of organisations undertook scientific research for the Government. These included the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), the Medical Research Council, the Agricultural Research Council, and the Royal Society.[1] However, there was little central co-ordination of scientific activities. Pressure groups of scientists and Members of Parliament campaigned for better co-ordination. Herbert Morrison was appointed Lord President in 1945 and established a Committee on Future Scientific Policy. By early 1947 the committee had evolved into two organisations namely the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy, and the Defence Research Policy Committee.[1]
Constitution
The Advisory Council had two chairmen during its 17-year existence:
- Sir Henry Tizard, 1947 to 1952
- Professor Alexander R. Todd, 1952 to 1964.[2]
In 1949 the post of deputy chairman was created, to reduce the burden of work on the chairman. The first deputy chairman was Professor Solly Zuckerman.
Most members were eminent scientists drawn from universities and industry. As constituted in 1947 the council had 13 members drawn from: the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; the Treasury; University of Oxford; University of Cambridge; University of Birmingham; the Agricultural Research Council; an Industrial Manufacturer (Parsons); the Medical Research Council; the Royal Society; Imperial Chemical Industries; the Ministry of Works; and the University Grants Committee.[3]