INTRODUCTION

  1.  GSK welcomes the Science and Technology Committee's Inquiry into the Funding of Science and Discovery Centres and looks forward to the outcomes of the Inquiry. We welcome also the increasing recognition in the UK of the need to engage and attract young people to science subjects and scientific careers and we hope that the inquiry develops further information on how this might best be achieved.

  2.  GSK notes that the inquiry will focus upon the role science centres play in the attraction of young people to science and the funding available to such centres from a variety of sources. The broader context however of science education and the engagement of young people in science related subjects should not be ignored.

  3.  This submission focuses on the experience we have had thus far in interacting with science and discovery centres and how this fits into our broader science education strategy and the activities encompassed within this. In addition, we provide comment regarding the current situation whereby science centres in England lack clear departmental sponsorship and may also lack access to sustainable funding.

INTRODUCTION TO GLAXOSMITHKLINE

  4.  The pharmaceutical industry makes a significant contribution to the health and wealth of UK citizens by employing and developing highly skilled workforces, investment in research and development, healthy working populations, efficiencies in healthcare system, and exports to the rest of the world. In the UK alone, the pharmaceutical industry contributes over £3 billion a year to research and development and employs over 80,000 people in R&D, manufacturing and other related activities.

  5.  GSK is one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. The company's mission is to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. We are involved in the research, development, manufacture and commercialisation of prescription pharmaceuticals, vaccines, over-the-counter medicines, and health-related consumer products.

  6.  In 2006, GSK invested £3.5 billion in R&D globally and the UK benefited from £1.3 billion of this, making us the single largest private sector funder of R&D in the UK. Globally, our R&D organisation employs almost 15,000 people, with nearly 6,000 of those employed in the UK, where we have nine R&D sites. Collaborative research plays a key role in this investment with GSK engaging in multiple partnerships and knowledge transfer activities with a variety of academic and industry partnerships.

  7.  GSK's continued investment in the UK will depend on the quality of the graduates and postgraduates and upon the maintenance of the quality of the basic research carried out in the many universities with which we collaborate. The UK science base is strong; however, scope exists to improve its quality, particularly in light of the increasingly mobile nature of investment by the sector. It is therefore in the best interests of all stakeholders—patients, researchers, government and industry—that the science and technology skills available to the pharmaceutical industry in the UK remain strong and the engagement and teaching of young people is critical to this.

  8.  We ourselves are committed to ensuring that young people are engaged in science related subjects and our science education strategy has as its vision "to cultivate communities in which people understand the value that science brings to their lives and believe that learning about science is important". As such our science education programmes aim to develop:

—  motivated students that have a strong understanding of science and scientific processes;

—  a diverse pool of talented students to recruit into science careers;

—  a public that is equipped to make sound decisions and engage in dialogue about science issues; and

—  GSK's reputation as a leader in science and technology.

  9.  Further information about our science education strategy and criteria for programme support can be found at Annex One.

GSK INTERACTION WITH SCIENCE AND DISCOVERY CENTRES

  10.  GSK has a range of projects we are currently undertaking with science museums and science and discovery centres as we believe they can play an important role in generating interest in young people in science subjects and related careers through a range of alternative activities and projects. The principal projects in which we are involved, however, have not yet been launched and therefore their impact has not been able to be measured. However we are confident that they represent innovative and valuable ways of reaching out to young people and engaging them in science related issues and activities.

The Darwin Centre, Natural History Museum

  11.  As part of our science education strategy, GSK donated £1 million to Phase 2 of the Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum, which will be launched in 2009. This is a new and unique Life Sciences complex which will be adjacent to the Museum's main Waterhouse building at the western end of the site. It aims to deliver three main benefits to the nation:

—  safeguard the world's finest scientific collection of 54 million animals and plants by replacing antiquated and insecure storage accommodation with 28,000 sq. metres of modern purpose built facilities;

—  help raise the percentage of the Museum's collection on public display to 75%—the first time that a scientific research institution will be put on display in this way; and

—  create a modern, high quality facility for over 250 Museum scientists and for thousands of visiting professional scientists from the UK and around the world who use the Museum's collections.

  12.  The Darwin Centre will not only be a first rate facility for scientists but also be an inspiring place for young people and adults. One of its main aims is to revolutionise the public's understanding of the natural world, by allowing unprecedented physical and electronic access to the widest variety of animal and plant species ever assembled. To support this level of access, the Darwin Centre will have an innovative, interactive public education programme—the "Encounter Programme".

  13.  The "Encounter Programme" will be a new mechanism for bringing scientists and their work into closer contact with the general public and students. The programme will promote public understanding of science, convey its investigative nature and highlight it as a cultural and vocational activity. All of the explorations will aim to improve the public's appreciation of science, breakdown barriers between scientist and layperson and advocate public participation in science decision making.

  14.  To ensure that good educational theory is applied to the practice of managing the Darwin Centre's "Encounter Programme", a team of dedicated educational researchers will liaise with project managers at all stages of development. Through developmental research, continual programme evaluation and by analysing feedback from participating scientists and visitors (both real and virtual) they will investigate the effectiveness of the "Encounter Programme's" approach.

  15.  Despite the highly acclaimed and valued research work, which takes place at the Museum, current storage arrangements limit access for scientific research. Many of the facilities needed in a modern laboratory are difficult to set up in a Grade 1 listed building. Public demands of science and scientists are becoming more sophisticated. Deference is giving way to a more questioning attitude, driven by concerns for issues such as environmental degradation, reduction in biological diversity, genomics, genetically modified organisms and other biotechnologies. The Museum has a crucial role to play in this shift in public reaction to science. It aims to encourage a more enquiring attitude to science and the natural world and use this to promote self-directed learning.

  16.  Visitors will have the chance to go "Behind the Scenes" and meet and interact with the scientists who are working on conservation, biodiversity and systematics projects and will hear about how their work is vital for the survival and control of the natural world.

Centre of the Cell, Whitechapel

  17.  GSK is also supporting the Centre of the Cell—a unique science education project to help children and young people learn about cell biology and inspire them to study science and take up careers in biomedical science. The Centre, which will open in Spring 2008, is based at Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry in Whitechapel, and is the first science education centre in the world to be sited inside the research laboratories of a major medical school.

  18.  The Centre of the Cell will engage young people through an innovative mix of interactive, theatrical and multimedia experiences to cover the basics of cells and organs and how medical research is carried out. It will also enable debate about ethical issues within the biosciences including cloning, stem cells, animal experimentation, and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. These experiences will help young people understand that:

—  the cells in your body work together to keep you healthy and that when you are ill your "cells have gone wrong". Scientists at Queen Mary and around the world are trying to find new ways of "putting cells right"; and

—  the work that scientists are doing at Queen Mary and in other similar research centres raise ethical questions that need to be discussed.

  19.  The Centre's "Pod" is based on a 16 cell embryo and is suspended above the labs, enabling young people to see scientists at work below. Once in the "Pod", young people will learn about cells through four integrated components: the nucleus of the cell which contains interactive games; perimeter screens with digital interactives; a website with extended content, including interactives from the perimeter screens and videos of science and scientists; and audio-visual experiences projected onto the walls of the "Pod". A virtual tour of the "Pod" can be seen at: www.centreofthecell.org.

  20.  The target audience is students aged 9 to 16 from all London boroughs, in particular local schools in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Visits from schools will be free of charge with visits from local schools, which are in an area of deprivation, being funded by businesses in Canary Wharf and the City. In addition, evening visits will be allocated to after-school clubs, youth and community groups, whilst at weekends and during school holidays the Centre will be open to the general public, focusing on young people and their families. It is anticipated that demand will outstrip the 32,000 school places available annually and also that young people nationally and internationally will also benefit from resources made available on the Centre of the Cell's.

Other interactions

  21.  GSK is also in discussion with science centres elsewhere in the UK who have approached us regarding outreach activities to schools. This would potentially enable us to extend our support beyond London and reach young people who are not able to visit science centres due to constraints such as income or location. Findings from this Inquiry will help inform discussions with these centres.

SUPPORT FOR SCIENCE AND DISCOVERY CENTRES

  22.  There are important elements that GSK seeks when partnering with any group in relation to science education activities. These include:

—  alignment with the aims of GSK's science education strategy and criteria for support (as at Annex One);

—  that they fit into the portfolio of methods that GSK supports to engage young people in science and develop their understanding of science;

—  that young people are led through the learning experience and activities by appropriately qualified and trained staff to ensure that their understanding of the science topic or concept is maximised and the `hands-on, brains-off' syndrome is avoided;

—  Science Centres that are accessible to young people from all backgrounds. Even if entry to centres is free of charge, travel costs may prevent young people from low income backgrounds and rural areas from visiting centres. Outreach programmes that visit schools are therefore extremely helpful;

—  teacher materials and ideally training need to be made available prior to visits to enable teachers to prepare their students for the visit and to maximise effective follow-up; and

—  independent evaluation of projects and activities are undertaken.

  23.  The Centre of the Cell's approach—as outlined below—closely matches these criteria, for example, as:

—  it is based in research laboratories, so visiting young people can actually see scientists at work, raising their awareness of careers beyond those they are traditionally aware of such as medicine, veterinary science, forensic science and so forth;

—  the Centre conducted research with local young people to find out what they wanted to know about cell biology, and designed the content using contexts suggested by young people, rather than deciding on the content and then piloting it with young people. This also links to the National Curriculum;

—  young people will be led through the learning experience by staff at the centre;

—  the Centre is based in an area of significant deprivation with the cost of visits for local students being met by by city financial institutions;

—  research scientists will support visits by students, again raising their awareness of careers;

—  the Centre website will enable information and activities on cell biology to be accessed by broader audiences than simply those students visiting the Centre; and

—  the Centre will make material available to teachers via their website, allowing effective preparation for students' visits, and are considering trialing pre-visit training for local teachers to ensure that they possess the scienctific knowledge they need to prepare their students.

SPONSORSHIP OF SCIENCE AND DISCOVERY CENTRES AND ACCESS TO SUSTAINABLE FUNDING

  24.  Currently, in England, no government department has clear responsibility for science centres and their strategic development and support. GSK would recommend that this situation be addressed and one department given clear accountability for ensuring that centres are well managed and well run. That department should also work to deliver good coverage of science and discovery centres across England and that young people around the country do not lack access to either the centres themselves or outreach programmes being run by those centres.

  25.  Linked to this is the situation whereby centres cannot at present bid for particular government grants and funding in order to ensure sustainable funding streams into the future. Considering the considerable investment made in these centres by both the charitable and business sectors, this situation needs to be addressed if investments, such as those outlined above, are not to run the risk of being squandered. Whilst we are not necessarily advocating that the funding mechanism for science and discovery centres should mirror exactly those available to museums, some sustainable form of funding should be made available to them.

June 2007