Horizon scanning
Upskilling and retraining the adult workforce
Upskilling and retraining adults is key to addressing future challenges and benefits productivity, health and wellbeing, social justice and communities.
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Horizon scanning
AI in policing and security
Artificial intelligence could change policing. But the efficacy of such technologies is not well established. What are the governance and privacy concerns?
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Horizon scanning
Changing consumption behaviours to meet environmental goals
Achieving environmental targets will involve changes in consumption at every level down to households and individuals, requiring effective measures to change consumer habits.
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Horizon scanning
Environmental stewardship of the global commons
The global commons include the atmosphere, ice sheets, a stable climate, biodiversity and even space. What is their current state and how can they be protected?
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Horizon scanning
Use of digital technologies to tackle pandemics
Many innovations have improved the COVID-19 response and could be key for future-proofing against pandemics. What are the governance and privacy concerns?
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Horizon scanning
Physical threats to infrastructure
Climate change and decarbonisation efforts are impacting infrastructure. How might these changes intersect with protections against malicious attacks?
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Horizon scanning
Soil as an essential national asset
Climate change and poor management pose significant threats to soils and the services they provide; appropriate baselines and data need to be identified to assess changes in soil health.
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Horizon scanning
Political polarisation and participation
Political polarisation could affect political participation. How do inequality and socioeconomic factors intersect with extremism?
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Horizon scanning
The impact of early childhood education and care on children’s outcomes, and the sustainability of the sector
Early education and care can have positive and long-lasting impacts on children’s outcomes. What are the impact of changes in Government policy and COVID-19?
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POSTnote
Sustainable cooling
Cooling is a process used across many areas of society. It is important for buildings, industrial processes and the supply of food and medicines. It is also needed for sustainable development. Yet some cooling applications contribute to climate change and the demand for cooling is rising. This POSTnote looks at UK and global demand for cooling. It highlights ways of meeting this demand that are more sustainable than conventional practices. It also outlines technology and policy options to promote these.
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Horizon scanning
International Development Committee announces its first Area of Research Interest: changes to the UK aid budget
An inquiry into the effectiveness and influence of the Select Committee system by the 2017–19 House of Commons Liaison Committee made several recommendations on how to improve the use of research evidence in select committees. One recommendation was for committees to develop and publish areas of research interest (ARIs). The House of Commons Scrutiny Unit, with the support of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), is trialling select committee ARIs as a pilot exercise to better understand and assess how they can support parliamentary scrutiny.
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POSTnote
Living organ donation
This POSTnote describes the scale and nature of living donation in the UK, its regulatory framework and the ethical considerations around this highly regulated procedure. It also analyses challenges within living organ donation, and the strategies implemented to address them.
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Rapid response
COVID-19 vaccine misinformation
There have been large volumes of inaccurate information about COVID-19 circulating since the beginning of the pandemic, including misinformation about vaccinations against the infection. This article looks at the types and sources of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and its public health impact. It also looks at the different approaches being used to fight COVID-19 vaccine misinformation, such as social media content moderation and guidance for the public.
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Rapid response
Which SARS-CoV-2 variants reduce the effectiveness of vaccines?
New SARS-CoV-2 variants identified around the world could have an impact on current vaccination programmes. What is the latest evidence on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines used in the UK on new variants? How quickly can these vaccines be updated and approved? What alternative strategies can be used?
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POSTnote
Childhood Obesity
In 2019, the UK Government called childhood obesity “one of the biggest health challenges this country faces”. Childhood obesity contributes to a range of physical and mental health conditions. This POSTnote outlines current trends in childhood obesity, the impacts on children’s health and access to support. It also covers key risk factors for childhood obesity and evidence on the effectiveness of policies to address it.
Total results (page 4 of 61)