Long road ahead for Stormont science adviser

Civil servants in Northern Ireland have agreed to consider recommending the appointment of a government chief scientific adviser, although they appear in no rush to move the process on quickly.

Chief scientists exist for individual departments in Northern Ireland, such as health and agriculture, but there is no overall CSA. An options paper outlining arguments for and against appointing a chief scientific adviser is being produced by a group of scientists and engineers from various government departments. The project is being coordinated by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and follows sustained lobbying from learned societies and professional bodies led by the Royal Society of Chemistry.