Department for Culture Media and Sport
science
DCMS’s main interest in science lies in social science, which relates directly to our key strategic priorities.
In 2005 we launched "Taking part", our national survey of participation in DCMS sectors. This major programme which will run for at least three years and provide useful data on how the community engages with leisure and culture.
We are not a major source of funding for science in the conventional sense, yet science, engineering and technology are key to achieving many of our aims, while innovation is vital to the continued economic success of our creative industries.
About one third of the bodies we sponsor are actively involved in the natural or physical sciences and technology. They include such major scientific institutions as the Natural History Museum – the world authority on systematic biological research – the British Library – which has the largest conservation department of its kind in the world and is an important and extensive source of scientific information – and English Heritage, a world leader in the restoration of buildings.
Other bodies we sponsor with a scientific remit include the National Museum of Science and Industry, Tate galleries, the Royal Armouries, UK Sport and Sport England, and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA).
In 2002, our Science strategy (PDF 67kb), set out how we pursue our science interests.
In 2004 DCMS was the first Government department to be reviewed for management and use of science by the Office of Science and Technology (now the Office of Science and Innovation), who made 21 recommendations to which we, in turn, responded:
We hope to appoint a permanent Chief Scientific Adviser in early 2007.
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