Scientists and engineers play a crucial role in helping to shape policies and improve lives. You only have to remember the Covid-19 pandemic to see how scientific advice and research were at the centre of keeping the UK safe. It demonstrated the real value of science, and I am keen for all civil servants to know more about what scientists and engineers in government can offer.
This is where the government science and engineering profession comes in. We are a community of around 10,000 scientists, engineers, technical specialists and non-specialists across the civil, public and crown services. You’ll find us in policy teams, regulators and laboratories, and in operational roles – testing assumptions, weighing risks, setting standards, offering advice and improving services.
And I am excited to say that the profession has hit a major milestone: publication of its new strategy. You may be thinking to yourself: what does it mean for my team and the work we need to deliver?
This strategy will strengthen capability and leadership across departments, building on progress made since the 2021 strategy. It places greater emphasis on how science and engineering capability is developed and sustained across government, with clearer expectations, clearer routes to build skills and clearer ways for teams to access the science, evidence and expertise they need.
The strategy highlights new and strengthened initiatives, including a mid-career leadership scheme for scientists and engineers to explore how their expertise can contribute to national priorities, work to improve skills, recognition and reward, as well as the continued development of existing programmes.
Those programmes include the popular Science and Engineering Fast Stream that produces future civil service leaders and the well-established Royal Society Pairing Scheme, which matches civil servants and parliamentarians with researchers for a week to exchange insights about each other’s work and build connections.
Beyond the strategy, there are tools and systems developed by the Government Office for Science to make it easier to draw on science expertise from outside government. Increasingly more organisations are publishing their Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) – a short list of areas where evidence is needed. For example, the Department for Business and Trade is keen to learn what intellectual property activities can contribute most to driving economic growth, while the Department for Education is investigating what works best to ensure high levels of school attendance. That openness helps teams attract the right partners quickly and helps researchers focus effort where it can make the biggest difference.
We have also created a directory where you can explore the range of schemes to bring in an academic to your team or even experience life from the perspective of an academic. Whether you are looking to engage with researchers for a few months, part‑time or during a short placement, you can find the options in one place with contact details.
This sits alongside the advice already available in departments: chief scientific advisers and their teams, analysts, regulators, laboratories and advisory committees. The aim? Bring science and engineering in early – when you are framing the problem, deciding what to measure, as well as for delivery.
Why does this matter? Because policymakers often need their advice here and now, and having dedicated science systems and expertise on hand allows for a timely response. Scientists and engineers help us handle uncertainty, spot unintended consequences and design approaches that work in practice. They enable all of us to be clearer about what we know, what we do not know yet, and what would change our minds.
The new GSE strategy helps deliver on this goal. It recognises the value of technical expertise and makes career paths clearer, whether people choose deep specialism, leadership, or move between policy, operations and delivery. So, as both a scientist and a civil servant, I urge you to think about how to embed more expertise in your organisation’s work. And join the profession while you’re at it.
Dame Angela McLean is the government chief scientific adviser and head of the government science and engineering profession