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http://www.genewatch.org/uploads/f03...e_for_life.pdf

bioscience for life:Who decides what research is done
in health and agriculture?
Helen Wallace

This report is an investigation of the shaping of science, innovation and the economy in the UK and
Europe. Looking at the biological sciences in the context of both health and agriculture, it:
· Describes the adoption of the idea of the 'knowledge-based economy' (KBE) as the key driver
for future economic growth and competitiveness. How do policy commitments to the KBE in
Britain and Europe influence research priorities? What is the role of the biosciences and
biotechnology in the knowledge-based economy?
· Considers whether and how universities and research institutes reinforce certain research
trajectories. What encouragement is there for scientists to take a certain path and how do
their aspirations affect the process? Are there mechanisms which reinforce central tendencies
to follow a certain path and to exclude the public?
· Describes how research priorities are set. The report considers the way in which the new
European Framework 7 research program was established and how the Medical Research
Council and Biotechnology and Biological Research Council set their priorities in the UK,
including the role of government policies.
· Documents the membership of science policy advisory committees and boards. To
demonstrate who is having influence, and where and how conflicts of interest may arise, the
report examines who is involved in formal consultations and the extent of any public
engagement exercises.
The report examines the extent to which the research agenda is skewed towards attempting to
create economic growth in particular commercial sectors, particularly those investing in research and
development in the biosciences and biotechnology. It describes how two particular visions of how the
biosciences will contribute to both growth and human welfare have been developed and promoted:
the idea that everyone will have their own genome sequenced, leading to 'personalised medicine';
and the idea that genetically modified (GM) crops will be developed which improve nutrition, benefit
the environment and create a new plant-based system for the manufacture of biofuels, chemicals
and pharmaceuticals. It also considers whether the research funding system leads to important areas
of research being neglected that could contribute to better health and more sustainable agriculture.
Finally, the report questions whether the current system of setting research priorities is sufficiently
open, transparent and democratic. Ways of improving the system are suggested so that more people
have a say about what research is done, with the aim of developing a research agenda that better
reflects the needs of people and the environment.