One only has to be reminded of the BSE crisis and the MMR
vaccine scare to recognise the importance of having policy
informed by the best available science. Now, a collaboration of
over fifty academics and policy makers from around the world
have come together to agree a new research agenda on the role of
science in public policy. The findings appear today Friday, 09
March in PLoS ONE, a leading interdisciplinary open-access
journal. The importance of using science for public policy has
long been recognised, but recent years have seen a growing
debate over how this is best achieved. 'Evidence-based policy'
has become the desired norm, and this has led to a greater
embedding of scientists alongside other specialists in public
policy. In many governments, scientists are engaged at a senior
level. For example, in the UK, in addition to the Government
Chief Scientific Adviser, all government departments have a
dedicated Chief Scientific Adviser post. In spite of their
acknowledged importance, however, relations b