scientists and mps pair up

Two Wellcome fellows were among this year's volunteers for the Royal Society’s MP–Scientists Pairing Scheme. Dr Franco Falcone at the University of Nottingham was paired up with David Kidney, Labour MP for Stafford. And Dr Marian Bruce at the University of Glasgow teamed up with David Marshall, Labour MP for Glasgow Shettleston.

The Pairing Scheme, launched in 2001 as part of the Royal Society’s ‘Science in Society’ programme, seeks to build bridges between parliamentarians and science researchers. The scheme is intended to give politicians the chance to find out more about the process and impact of scientific research, and to help scientists understand the pressures under which MPs operate, and how they might influence the science policy process.

On 25 October 2004 the scientists were in London for their ‘Week in Westminster’. As well as ‘shadowing’ their MP for the week, they attended various meetings, including a House of Lords meeting on ageing, and a House of Commons meeting on human reproductive technologies and the law.

The scientists’ visit to the MPs in their constituencies, and the MPs’ visit to the scientists’ research centres, took place in November and December 2004.