The Royal Society of Biology’s annual Voice of the Future event – where Parliamentarians are questioned by early career STEM researchers – took place on Monday 17 March 2025 on Zoom this year.

MPs and Peers were put in the hot seat once again when they were questioned by a range of early career scientists on topics ranging from AI to how researchers can advise on policy.

L-R: Lord Patrick Vallance, Dr Ben Spencer MP, Emily Darlington MP, Dr Lauren Sullivan MP, Dr Allison Gardner MP

The RSB’s Associate Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Susie Rabin, chaired the event. We were delighted to have both Lord Patrick Vallance, the Minister for Science, and Dr Ben Spencer MP, the Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology), take part this year.

The Biochemical Society and Royal Society of Biology asked questions on biotechnology. Lord Vallance stated that the Government is keen to keep funding companies to ensure they are able to carry on harnessing biology – from sustainable aviation fuel to producing new materials that do not currently exist in nature – to make further extraordinary advancements in the field. Emphasis was also placed on making sure there is regulation in place and to focus on skills and talent development.

There were further questions posed about talent recruitment, skills shortage, and PhD accessibility from the Society of Chemical Industry, the Biochemical Society, and the London Mathematical Society. Dr Ben Spencer said there also needs to be a focus on other ways people can get STEM training aside from university; that the STEM skills gap needs to be tackled for our own domestic workforce; and that schools and companies need to be supported to provide a pipeline for STEM careers.

Applied Microbiology International’s query focused on what the Government intends to do so that research on novel antibiotics is prioritised amid the constant threat of antibiotic resistance and companies’ reluctance to support this strand of research due to its non-profitability. Dr Ben Spencer mentioned that AI and protein folding models are of critical importance for new drug design in tackling this area. Lord Vallance focused on the One Health approach that the Government is taking across various sectors in all four devolved nations, including human health and agriculture, to make sure that the public is aware of antibiotic use in addition to new prospects for the development of novel antibiotics and vaccination to tackle the issue.

Questions from The Geological Society and The Royal Society of Chemistry then tackled the UK’s water industry, with a focus on flooding, and the issue of contaminants in water. Lord Vallance stressed that policies must be properly influenced by science and that the Environment Agency and Met Office have a joint unit on flooding. The roles of Chief Scientific Advisers are crucial in getting this right and making sure that addressing these issues is firmly on the Government’s radar.

Along with the learned societies, it was great to have questions submitted by A Level and GCSE pupils from Bishop’s Hatfield Girls’ School who asked if Dr Ben Spencer enjoyed science at school and queried Lord Vallance on whether or not it is possible to separate science from politics. Dr Ben Spencer enthusiastically answered that the STEM subjects were always his favourite at school, while Lord Vallance stated that science matters to Government and that there shouldn’t be politics in the process of scientific discovery.

For the second session, we had three MPs from the House of Commons Science Technology & Innovation Select Committee: Dr Allison Gardner MP, Dr Lauren Sullivan MP, and Emily Darlington MP, in addition to The Viscount Stansgate and Lord Drayson from the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee.

The first question for this session came from Bishop’s Hatfield Girls’ School on addressing the gender difference in attitudes towards science in schools. The answers were unanimous across the board in saying that teachers are fundamentally important to ensuring science is accessible to all, while the Viscount Stansgate added that we cannot start early enough with introducing girls to science and demonstrating that it is a viable option for them.

Questions raised by the Anatomical Society and Genetics Society addressed the concerns around communicating science to the public and of a loss of critical thinking. Emily Darlington raised the issue that we do not have limits on our free speech online, that content online is not regulated, and highlighted the need for experts feeding into key issues. Dr Allison Gardner stressed the importance of people possessing critical appraisal skills – particularly young people – to question sources and where information has come from. She also highlighted how crucial science communication skills are in today’s age of misinformation and fake news.

The Association of Applied Biologists asked how early career researchers can feed into policy, to which Lord Drayson responded by saying to take part in events such as Voice of the Future. He emphasised the need to be switched on to policy debates, writing to MPs, and engaging with consultations.

A query on how learned societies can assist with the implementation of AI in the UK and internationally from The Society for Radiological Protection was answered by Lord Drayson. He said given the rapidity of the pace at which generative AI is developing, all learned societies have a vital role to play in this involvement.

The Biochemical Society asked what the panel would like to see the Government doing to ensure the sustainability of research careers in the UK given the current funding crisis across the UK higher education sector. Emily Darlington began by saying we need to move away from the current three-year funding cycles and create stability through a ten-year funding settlement and for UKRI to provide much longer term funding for universities across the board. Dr Allison Gardner stated that the Select Committee is currently undertaking an inquiry looking at regional growth, while Dr Lauren Sullivan said that pensions will unlock much needed capital and that collaboration with corporate companies is also necessary. Lord Drayson added that in recent times the UK university sector has got better at ensuring scientific research is translated into jobs and economic development. As the country has had a period of low growth and poor productivity for some time now, the Government needs to step in to provide policies which will allow more commercialisation to generate wealth and economic growth.

The final question of the session came from Bishop’s Hatfield Girls’ School on what the panel’s favourite use of science is. Lord Drayson specified the use of AI, Dr Allison Gardner said cellular function, Emily Darlington opted for personalised medicine, while Dr Lauren Sullivan said the crossover of infectious diseases and the immune system.

Many thanks to the Science Minister and Shadow Minister, the MPs and staff from the House of Commons Science, Innovation & Technology Select Committee, and the Peers from the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee for generously giving us their time, and to everyone who submitted questions.