Sense about Science

The pro-GM lobby group Sense about Science describes itself as a "charitable trust, founded in 2002, to promote an evidence-based approach to scientific issues in the public domain. The trust works with organisations, experts and opinion formers to encourage this approach, particularly in areas of controversy". It cites its objectives as follows [1]:

1. To advance the education of the public in any branch of scientific research (including social science) and to disseminate useful information about such research.
2. To promote (for the benefit of the community) the understanding of, and to stimulate interest in, the creation, presentation and use of scientific research.

It has a very close relationship with the Royal Society. For example, it has set up a Working party on peer review which meets at the RS, and is chaired by a member of the RS. The working party also includes members of the Institute of Ideas. [2]

It has helped publicised a variety of pro-GM stories in the media, including the Broom's Barn trials. It co-ordinated an open letter from UK scientists to the Prime Minister, following a series of largely unfavorable GM articles in the media [3].

Related, via Global Futures and common personnel, to the Institute of Ideas and the LM group. Additionally, the domain name senseaboutscience.org.uk was registered by Rob Lyons, who is also web master for Spiked online.

Personnel

• Director Tracey Brown
• Assistant Ellen Raphael

Both are former employees of Regester Larkin, a Risk management PR company.

Funding

• Halifax
• Unilever
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Social Issues Research Centre

Has funded pro--GM research such as a survey on the cost of vandalism to sugar beet trials at Broom's Barn GM research centre.

Constitution

Board of Trustees

• Lord Dick Taverne QC (Chair
• Professor Dame Bridget Ogilvie FMedSci FRS (Vice-Chair)
• Professor Janet Bainbridge OBE
• Dr Shereen El Feki
• Dr Michael Fitzpatrick
• Ms Diana Garnham
• Professor Sir Brian Heap CBE FRS
• Professor Chris Leaver CBE FRS
• Sir John Maddox FRS
• Dr Peter Marsh
• Dr Mark Matfield
• Baroness Onora O'Neill of Bengarve
• Dr Christie Peacock
• Lord Henry Plumb of Coleshill DL

Advisory council

• Professor John Adams, University College London
• Mr Richard Ayre, Journalist
• Mr Peter Bell, Former controller of policy, BBC News
• Professor Sir Colin Berry FMedSci
• Professor Colin Blakemore FMedSci FRS, Medical Research Council
• Professor Sir Robert Boyd FMedSci
• Professor Derek Burke CBE
• Professor Peter Campbell
• Professor Sir David Carter FMedSci, The British Medical Association
• Professor John Coggins, Biochemical Society
• Professor Phil Dale, John Innes Research Centre
• Professor Adrian Dixon FMedSci, Royal College of Radiologists
• Dr Simon Festing, Association of Medical Research Charities
• Dr Ron Fraser, Society for General Microbiology
• Dr Nicola Gray, Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Lord Hunt of Chesterton FRS
• Lord Jenkin of Roding
• Professor Trevor Jones CBE, The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
• Professor Sir Peter Lachmann FRS FMedSci, Cambridge Centre for Veterinary Science
• Dr Stephen Ladyman MP
• Ms Prue Leith OBE
• Dr Robin Lovell-Badge FRS, National Institute for Medical Research
• Professor Julian Ma, St George's Hospital Medical School
• Professor Alan Malcolm, Institute of Biology
• Professor Vivian Moses, King's College London
• Professor Sir Keith Peters FRS PMedSci, The Academy of Medical Sciences
• Dr Matt Ridley FMedSci
• Professor Anthony Trewavas FRS, University of Edinburgh
• Lord Turnberg of Cheadle FMedSci
• Dr Roger Turner
• Professor Michael Wilson, Horticultural Research International

Funders

Financial contributions, for both core and project-related costs, have been received from:

• Association of the British Pharmaceutial Industry (ABPI)
• Amersham plc
• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
• The Biochemical Society
• Blackwells publishing
• British Petroleum plc
• Mr J. Browning
• Mr D. Brydon
• Prof A. Dixon
• Dixons Group plc
• The Society for Endocrinology
• The Society for General Microbiology
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Halifax Bank of Scotland
• Health and Science Communication Trust
• International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA)
• John Innes Centre
• The John Innes Trust
• Mr. J. Moynihan
• Mr M. Livermore
• Oxford GlycoSciences plc
• Phizer plc
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
• Blackwells Publishing
• Dr M. Ridley
• Social Issues Research Centre
• Unilever plc.

Help with equipment and facilities has been received from:

• AXA Investment Management
• Horticultural Research International
• The Natural History Museum
• Lord Stevenson of Coddenham
• WPP plc

External links

• David Derbyshire, "Fluoride, fluoride everywhere...", Daily Telegraph, 29 May 2003
• Andy Rowell and Bob Burton, "Rising Rhetoric on Genetically Modified Crops", PR Watch, Volume 10 No 1, First quarter 2003.
• Sense about Science - GM Watch profile, November 7, 2003
• Andy Rowell, The alliance of science, The Guardian, March 26, 2003
• "The Royal Society: best of British science or corporate rentboy?", GMWatch Newsletter Number 6, 8 February 2003