Open Access Government January 2021

The January 2021 edition of Open Access Government speaks about important global government policy issues, such as COVID-19, health & social care, research & innovation, digital transformation, economic development, agriculture, environment and energy

A selection can be found below:

Suppressing the spread of COVID-19 in the Africa Region

Open Access Government was privileged to speak with Dr Mary Stephen again, Public Health Expert at the World Health Organization African Region, about suppressing the spread of COVID-19, remaining vigilant and effectively tackling any resurgence.

Japan: Science, technology and innovation policy

Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, HAGIUDA Koichi, explains the priorities for science, technology and innovation policy in Japan.

Infodemic: The other face of epidemics (COVID-19)

Sylvie Briand, Director, Global Infectious Hazards Preparedness Department at the World Health Organization, explains how COVID-19 is accompanied by a fighting an infodemic, including comment on infodemiology.

Towards resilience against water-related extreme events

Dr Anjuli S. Bamzai, NSF Division Director for Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences and Ms Elizabeth Zelenski, Staff Associate, NSF Office of the Assistant Director for Geosciences, describe research concerning water-related extreme events underway that has profound implications for society.

Dstl signals bright future for SME research in defence and security

Rob Solly, Division Head, Defence and Security Analysis, tells us how the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) signals a bright future for SME research in defence and security.

Coordinating research on pandemic preparedness and rapid response

Dr Charu Kaushic, Chair of GloPID-R, and Dr Geneviève Boily-Larouche, CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity, provide a perspective on pandemic preparedness and response, including lessons learned for global coordination among research funders.

Biological sciences: Determining phenotype from genotype

The NSF’s Division of Integrative Organismal Systems, within the Directorate for Biological Sciences, details their work to support increased understanding of the relationship between genetics and an organism’s environment plus how discoveries in this field could improve a broad range of industries in America.

Shaping of post-COVID-19 EU: Only with organised civil society!

Christa Schweng, President, European Economic and Social Committee details the shaping of post-COVID-19 EU and argues that this is only possible with an organised civil society.

The UK’s plans to boldly become a global leader in space

Graham Turnock, CEO, UK Space Agency charts the UK’s plans to boldly become a global leader in space.

Engineering research keeps America’s future competitive

Robert B Stone and Jordan M Berg, of the Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation Division at the U.S. National Science Foundation, chart precisely how engineering research improves people’s lives.