Partnerships
Acting as one voice for the biosciences, the Royal Society of Biology has key partnerships with several sister organisations outside of our wide Member Organisation base, supporting their pan-science work. Links to their websites, a short synopsis and the work we do together can be found below.
ITN Productions
ITN Productions Industry News produces bespoke creative and commercial content for broadcasters, businesses, brands, rights holders and digital channels. Industry News forms part of this offering and is a communications tool for leading industry bodies and national associations produced in a broadcast news-style programme format, including interviews, news items and sponsored editorial profiles.
The RSB has partnered up with ITN Productions to produce two current-affair style programmes. In 2018 ITN Productions produced 'Addressing Global Challenges' in partnership with 17 other biosciences organisations, and in 2019 they produced 'Biology impacting Lives' with another seven organisations.
Science Council
The Science Council is a membership organisation that brings together learned societies and professional bodies across science and its applications. The Science Council provides a single point of contact for those wishing to contact or work with the science community. The Science Council’s Future Morph website for young people, parents and teachers provides information on a wide range of careers.
As a member of the Science Council, the RSB is a licensed body providing its professional registers (RSciTech, RSci, CSci and CSciTeach) to our members, linked to annual CPD.
Campaign for Science and Engineering
The Campaign for Science & Engineering (CaSE) is the leading independent advocate for science and engineering in the UK. We are supporting members of CaSE and work collaboratively with them on specific projects of joint interest.
Collaboration on School Science Education Policy
The Association for Science Education, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society, the Royal Society of Biology and Royal Society of Chemistry work together as an alliance to support science education in schools. This alliance is convened by Professor David Read. Previously this partnership was called SCORE the Science Community Representing Education.
Primary Science Quality Mark
The Primary Science Quality Mark is an award programme that enables primary schools across the UK to evaluate, strengthen and celebrate their science provision. Schools can achieve PSQM Award, PSQM Gilt Award and PSQM Outreach Award and are offered support and training to develop their science provision. The award is made to a school for impact on teaching and learning of effective leadership in science. The Royal Society of Biology and PSQM work closely together through the RSB Primary Curriculum working group and the PSQM stakeholder group.
Learned Societies' Group on STEM Education in Scotland
The Royal Society of Biology works in collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Association for Science Education, the British Computer Society, the Edinburgh Mathematical Society, the Scottish Mathematical Council, the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Engineering Policy Group Scotland (Observer) as part of the Learned Societies' Group for STEM Education in Scotland. The group is Chaired by Professor Lesley Yellowlees and focuses on Scottish education policy issues.
Foundation of Science and Technology
The Foundation's purpose is to provide a neutral platform for debate of policy issues that have a science, engineering or technology element.
The Foundation also provides a support service to learned and professional societies. Keith Lawrey is the Learned Societies' liaison officer for the Foundation and is in regular contact with Society. The Royal Society of Biology is a member of the Foundation for Science and Technology.
Parliamentary and Scientific Committee
The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee provides a long term liaison between Parliamentarians and scientific bodies, science-based industry and the academic world. The main aim is to focus on those issues where science and politics meet, highlighting the relevance of scientific and technological developments to matters of public interest and to the development of policy.
Science in Parliament is the Committee's quarterly Journal. It presents a complete and unique record of science and technology matters in both Houses of Parliament and the European Community. It provides insights into the information and briefings supplied to Members of Parliament on scientific subjects.
The Royal Society of Biology is a member of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, and the Society's director of parliamentary affairs, Dr Stephen Benn, is the Vice-Chair of the Advisory Panel of the Committee.
Science Media Centre
Science Media Centre (SMC) is an independent press office providing journalists with scientific evidence and expertise, including interviews with leading experts to timely press briefings on topical issues. The Royal Society of Biology makes a modest annual donation towards the running costs of the SMC, which also acts as an observer member of the Animal Science Group.
Sense About Science
Sense About Science works in partnership with scientific bodies, research publishers, policy makers, the public and the media to change discussions about science and evidence. Its Voice of Young Science network engages hundreds of early career researchers in public debates about research and evidence.
The Royal Society of Biology frequently provides support and event partnership for early career researcher events and is a co-funder (with a number of other organisations) of a project exploring communication around GM issues in plant science.
Athena Forum
The Athena Forum was set up in 2008 as a successor organisation to the Athena Project which ran from 1999 to 2007. Its mission is to provide a strategic oversight of developments that seek to, or have proven to, advance the career progression and representation of women in science, technology, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) in UK higher education. Its members are nominated by the UK's leading scientific professional and learned societies.
The Royal Society of Biology is a founding organisation of the Forum and is represented on the committee by Dr Jacqui Piner CBiol FRSB.
All Party Parliamentary Group on Biodiversity
The All-Party Parliamentary group for biodiversity aims to provide a forum for cross-party parliamentarians, senior policy makers, academics, leading industry figures and other interested parties to have an informed discussion on all aspects of protecting biodiversity in the UK and abroad. The Society is a member of the Group.
Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers
The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers was formed in 1972 with 24 society members. Today ALPSP has more than 315 member organisations in 39 countries and is the largest international trade association for scholarly and professional publishers. We aim to serve, represent and strengthen the community of scholarly publishers, and those who work with them. The Society is a member of the Association.
Association for Science Education (ASE)
The ASE is the largest subject association in the UK that support all those involved in science education from pre-school to higher education; members include teachers, technicians, tutors and advisers. RSB members can benefit from a 30% discount on their ASE membership and the RSB offers a reciprocal agreement to ASE members. To take advantage of this reduction, contact membership@rsb.org.uk