Professor Robert Mair CBE, FREng, FRS has been appointed Chairman of the Department for Transport's Science Advisory Council.
Professor Mair comments: “I am delighted to have been appointed to chair the Department for Transport's (DfT) Science Advisory Council. There is clearly a wide variety of important and challenging issues being addressed by the DfT for which the science and engineering evidence base needs to evolve in the next few years.”
The DfT recognises that safe and dependable transport is essential to UK society and the economy. It is working to make rail, road, air and water transport more efficient and effective and plans to invest in transport infrastructure to ensure this.
The Science Advisory Council provides independent, scientific and strategic level advice to make sure the DfT’s work is of the highest standard.
The Council’s specific activities cover a wide range of issues, including how emerging trends and developments might potentially affect current government policy and practice. It reviews departmental strategic evidence plans and advises on requests from officials as well as on the quality of evidence processes, capacity and capability within the department. It also aims to strengthen links with the academic community.