Over the last few months the Society has responded to calls for evidence for a range of consultations, including from the Geospatial Commission and the UK’s four higher education funding bodies.
The Geospatial Commission’s call for evidence urged both the public and private sectors to help shape the UK’s geospatial strategy, suggesting there was the potential to unlock £11 billion value in the UK’s economy and society through innovation, asset enhancement and targeted investment.
Our response highlighted the crucial role of geography in the delivery of successful geospatial technologies, interpretation and analysis. With input from our community of Chartered and professional geographers, we also identified a range of opportunities and interventions at different stages in the geospatial skills pipeline – at schools and universities, in research and innovation, and in professional practice.
Read our response.
The UK’s four higher education funding bodies – the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, the Scottish Funding Council, the Department for the Economy, NI, and Research England – were seeking views and responses on the draft guidance and criteria for submissions to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. The four bodies especially wanted to ensure that equality and diversity continued to be fully embedded throughout the submission and review process.
Our response addressed panel scope, noting the challenges of assigning cost centres for a subject of geography’s breadth; highlighted the potential equality and diversity consequences of proposed adjustments for staff circumstances; and made suggestions for improving, clarifying and making more transparent the submission process and panel working methods.
Read our response.
We regularly respond to consultations and calls for evidence from government departments, Parliamentary Select Committees and other bodies. Read more of our other consultation responses.