Government Office for Science (UK)

We ensure that government policies and decisions are informed by the best scientific evidence and strategic long-term thinking.

The role of the Government Chief Scientific Adviser is to advise the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Who we are

We are an organisation of up to 80 permanent staff and are located in London in the offices of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Responsibilities

We are responsible for:

• giving scientific advice to the Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet, through a programme of projects that reflect the priorities of the Government Chief Scientific Adviser
• ensuring and improving the quality and use of scientific evidence and advice in government (through advice and projects and by creating and supporting connections between officials and the scientific community)
• providing the best scientific advice in the case of emergencies, through the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE)
• helping the independent Council for Science and Technology provide high level advice to the Prime Minister

Priorities

From 2015 to 2016, our priorities will be:

• supporting national growth and increasing the UK’s productivity by linking science, innovation and industrial enterprise
• supporting regional growth by building on existing science and innovation activity across the country
• using technology to develop modern and cheaper public services
• preventing or addressing emergencies and mapping national security risks