Making science relevant to policy and decision-making

This course will provide a practical guide to implementing policy-led science for decision-making, and will examine the benefits and potential drawbacks of following such an approach in the public, private and charitable sectors. An emphasis on translating policy aims into tractable scientific questions is a particularly distinctive, and possibly unique, feature among the University's courses on science and policy. When used well, science plays a crucial part in improving decision-making. However, when used badly, science often led to confusion and poor decision-making. Building on this experience, this course looks at principles for identifying how science can lead to better decisions in situations ranging from personal choices to governments dealing with emergencies. The course is entirely online and comprises recorded lectures, discussions, readings and a few live sessions.

The first four weeks look at general concepts about the application of science to decision-making and later weeks apply those concepts to various situations, including scientific advice to governments, decision-making in business, and the influence of social media on decision-making. Several guest lecturers from within and outside the University with expertise in these fields contribute to the course. Building a sense of community and encouraging constructive dialogue are vital aspects of the course. Students are encouraged to look at current affairs during the course and use the discussion boards to highlight how science is used in decision-making in situations that reflect their own experiences and interests.

Throughout the course, it is emphasised that knowledge is always provisional and so the results of decisions may need revision. This applies equally to the ideas presented in the course. Using the discussion boards to debate how well the ideas apply to new situations will help students to improve their ability to see when science is used well and not so well in decision-making. Good decisions require judgement and science cannot remove the need to make choices. The course will be led by Dr Katie Adam, Lecturer in Innovation in the Life Sciences, who is based jointly in the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences and the School of Social and Political Science.

This course is designed for an interdisciplinary audience with an interest in the use of scientific evidence for decision-making. This is an introductory Masters-level course (SCQF Level 11). It provides foundational skills and/or an overview of the subject - no prior knowledge is required. Masters-level courses are relatively intensive and require independent learning, critical thinking, analysis, and reflection.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent.

Entry requirements by country 

If you do not meet the minimum academic requirement, you may still be considered if you have relevant professional qualifications or experience.

On completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Critically evaluate the limitations of science in support of decision-making
2. Critically analyse the contributions of policy uncertainty and scientific uncertainty to controversial or difficult decisions
3. Demonstrate a critical understanding in order to translate policy aims into decision-making criteria and testable hypotheses
4. Design monitoring, evaluation and communication plans to support decisions

This is a 10-week online course, comprising a total of 200 hours study. The course is entirely online and comprises recorded lectures, discussions, readings and a few live Virtual Classroom sessions.

Assessment is 100% coursework.

Course fees for 23/24 are £2125 but funded places are available for people employed or unemployed in Scotland (residency requirements apply).You will receive a certificate of completion after the final assessment date if you have submitted your coursework.

Funding

Through the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) Upskilling Fund, a limited number of fully-funded places are available on Data Upskilling Short Courses at The University of Edinburgh.

Eligibility

Funded places are available to those who meet SFC fee waiver criteria:

“Courses/provision is open to all Scottish-domiciled/’home fee’ students, which is consistent with SFC’s policy for core funded student places. Students from the rest of the UK (rUK) are not normally considered eligible for SFC funding. If however a university is working with a Scottish/UK employer which has a physical presence or operating in Scotland, rUK employees of that employer would be eligible.”

If you are from outside Scotland, you need to have settled status in the UK and meet other residency criteria:

•  be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for the three years immediately before course start date, and
•  have ‘settled status’ in the UK (as set out in the Immigration Act 1971) at the course start date, and
•  be ordinarily resident in Scotland at the course start date.

You can find out more about residency criteria on the SAAS website or in this summary.

Funding eligibility will be assessed at the point of each application for each course; you may be asked to provide further information if you do not meet the general residence conditions. You can check your likely fee status here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/tuition-fees/fee-status/work-out Please email us at upskilling@ed.ac.uk if you would like to discuss your funding eligibility before applying.

Please note that full-time students (including full-time PhD students) are not eligible for funding.

You will receive a certificate of completion after the final assessment date if you have submitted your coursework.

You may also be able to use credits achieved on this course towards other University of Edinburgh postgraduate programmes, subject to the approval of the relevant Programme Director.

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