International Review of Science
The National Measurement Laboratory at LGC (NML at LGC) and the Government Chemist (GC) are both functions of the wider UK National Measurement System (NMS) funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
Monitoring and evaluation of national infrastructure by government is a crucial part of ensuring the systems it funds continue to provide high quality work for the UK and are prepared for future challenges. This International Review of Science 2023 was commissioned by DSIT to evaluate the quality of science and the impact of the NML at LGC and GC function over the period 2016 to 2023.
The evaluation was performed by an international panel of 15 experts who were asked to draw conclusions on the progress made since the last Review (in 2015) and provide recommendations for future considerations. The Review Board assessed the quality of each of the scientific areas (Inorganic Analysis, Organic Analysis, Molecular and Cell Biology) and the Government Chemist, as well as the wider impact.
Following the Review, which involved extensive written evidence and a 2-day visit to the laboratory, the Board concluded that both the quality of the science and its impact is either world-leading (the best in the world) or internationally competitive (comparable with other world-class labs internationally) across the breadth of the scientific disciplines covered.
“This is testament to the on-going hard work and recognised expertise of our scientists, and our ability to rapidly turn our fundamental measurement capabilities into practice to underpin responses to unprecedented global challenges.”
“My sincere thanks to the Review board for their encouraging words and constructive feedback. We found the close interaction of the members of the Board with our scientists at different levels very helpful in providing valuable advice and stimulating discussions.”