Neutral platform for debate of policy issues, Discussions and workshops on relevant issues, Support service to Learned and Professional Societies, Foundation Future Leaders Programme for mid-career professionals, Podcast exploring links between science & technology and policy
Welcome
To The Foundation for Science and Technology website
The Foundation for Science and Technology is a UK charity, providing an impartial platform for debate of policy issues that have a science, research, technology or innovation element. Established in 1977, the Foundation brings together Parliamentarians, civil servants, industrialists, researchers, learned societies, charities and others. It convenes discussion events and round tables, publishes a journal three times per year and regular blogs, and hosts a weekly podcast. It also organises the Foundation Future Leaders Programme, supporting the next generation of professionals from universities, industry and the civil service. In addition, the Foundation provides guidance on governance issues to Professional and Learned Societies.
Future Leaders
The Foundation Future Leaders Programme brings together a cohort of mid-career professionals drawn from universities, industry and the civil service to develop links and further their understanding of how science and research are conducted, and how they feed into the policy process.
DiscoverEvents
The Foundation organises events on key topics in science, research, technology or innovation, bringing together Parliamentarians, civil servants, industrialists, researchers, learned societies, charities and others.
Events ListFST Journal
The FST Journal is published three times per year, with articles based on the main evening events held by the Foundation. The Journal is distributed to over 1500 senior influencers in Government, Parliament, industry and the research community, as well as being published online.
View FST JournalLearned & Professional Societies
The Foundation for Science and Technology provides guidance to Learned and Professional Societies in the area of administration and governance, with technical guidance notes and a regular newsletter.
Read MoreLatest Events
January 28, 2026
Recent events have shown the damage that can be done when there is a lack of resilience in national infrastructure. From a fire at a substation closing Heathrow, to flooding affecting the electricity grid and IT and telecoms issues (accidental or cybercrime) leading to shutdowns. This is not just a UK problem, as we saw when much of Spain and Portugal lost power for a short period in 2025. What are the key threats to our national infrastructure? And how can technology help us understand those threats better, and protect us against them?
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February 25, 2026
The impacts of climate change are already being felt in the UK, and we can see the costs of inaction on growth, security, and health. Coordinated climate adaptation action is needed now to ensure the resilience of the UK to increasing climate-related shocks. The Council for Science and Technology (CST), the government’s top-level advisory body on science and technology issues, wrote to the Prime Minister on 28th October 2025, providing advice on climate adaptation and resilience for the UK. In this event we will discuss priorities for climate adaptation action in the UK, the development of climate adaptation targets and will be an opportunity to dive deeper into CST’s four recommendations.
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November 19, 2025
Calling all early- to mid-career professionals working in roles related to science, technology and innovation, within the research community, industry, the civil service or elsewhere. This is our annual conference specifically targeted at you, and we have a fantastic line up for 2025. Our first plenary session focusses on regional science and technology - the role of "place" in decisions on S&T funding and how devolution within England changes that discussion. Our second plenary discusses barriers to successful S&T in the UK, looking at funding, research culture amongst other things. We have three breakout discussion sessions, focussed on the contribution of science and technology to health, energy and AI. And finally, we have a key note presentation from Professor David Nutt. The conference is free to attend and all are welcome, either in person in Liverpool, or online.
View DetailsMore about our events
You can view a full listing of our events and search the archive on our events page.