Science Policy Research Unit

Science Policy Research Unit
Address
Jubilee Building, Falmer campus Brighton United Kingdom
Information
Type	Public
Established	1966(1966)
Founder	Christopher Freeman
Director	Jeremy Kent Hall
Staff	70
Publication	Research Policy
Focus	Policy, Management
Former Name	Science Policy Research Unit
Functions	Research, Teaching, Consultancy
Website	https://www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/

TheScience Policy Research Unit(SPRU) is aresearch centrebased at theUniversity of SussexinFalmer,nearBrighton, United Kingdom.Its research focuses onscience policyandinnovation.SPRU offersMSccourses and PhD research degrees. In 2018, SPRU ranked 3rd in the world and 1st in the UK for top science and technologythink tankson theGlobal Go To Think Tank Index Report.

SPRU has more than 60 faculty members, 150 MScs and 50 doctoral students.

Organization

The Science Policy Research Unit is located within the University of Sussex Business School in Brighton, United Kingdom. SPRU's currentdirector is Professor Jeremy Hall, formerly director of the Centre for Social Innovation Management at Surrey Business School and editor-in-chief of theJournal of Engineering and Technology Management.He took over as professor fromJohan Schotin September 2019.

The Jubilee Building, where SPRU is currently based, 2017

SPRU's specialist research centres include:

• Sussex Energy Group (SEG)
• Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP)
• The STEPS Centre (co-hosted with the Institute of Development Studies)
• Harvard Sussex Program (a long-standing partnership withHarvard Universityin the field of biological and chemical weapons)
• Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (in partnership withNesta)
• Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions – Digital Society strand
• National Centre for Energy Systems Integration (in partnership with four other research-intensive universities and strategic partnerSiemens)
• Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC)

History

SPRU was founded in 1966 byChristopher Freeman.Since its foundation, SPRU has had notable scholars among its faculty, includingDaniele Archibugi,Giovanni Dosi,Marie Jahoda,Carlota Perez,Keith Pavitt,Mary Kaldor,Richard R. Nelson,Giorgio SirilliandLuc Soete.

Current faculty members includeBenjamin Sovacool;Andy Stirling;Paul Nightingale, director of strategy and operations for theEconomic & Social Research Council;Erik Millstone; and Ben Martin, editor ofResearch Policyand Associate Fellow of Cambridge'sCentre for Science and Policy.

Teachings

SPRU currently offers six Master's courses, two of which are available online. Additionally, SPRU offers two PhD degrees in Science and Technology Policy Studies and Technology and Innovation Management.

Harvard Sussex Program

TheHarvard Sussex Program(HSP) is a collaborative effort on chemical biological weapons disarmament betweenHarvard Universityand SPRU at theUniversity of Sussex.It was formed byMatthew Meselsonand Julian Perry Robinson to provide research, training, seminars, and information onchemical biological warfareand its disarmament. In 2010, Sussex faculty member Caitriona McLeish was appointed co-director of the HSP.

The program has an archival collection ofCBW-related documents at the Sussex Harvard Information Bank (SHIB).

HSP is an academicnon-governmental organization(NGO) that has influencedpolicy creation from within the United States andGreat Britainon the formation of theChemical Weapons Convention(CWC) and reviews of theBiological Weapons Convention(BWC).

External links

• James Revill and Caitríona McLeish (24 March 2015)."Happy birthday to the bioweapons convention".The Guardian.