Foundation for Science and Technology

Who we are

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FST) is a charitable incorporated organisation that exists to advance science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) policy in the United Kingdom. Our beneficiaries are wide-ranging: policymakers, parliamentarians, scientists, engineers, technologists, business leaders, and members of the public who are affected by decisions made at the intersection of science and society.

FST brings together leading figures from across science, government, industry and academia to discuss the most pressing policy questions of our time - from artificial intelligence and the green transition to public health and innovation economics. We create spaces where evidence meets policy: events, roundtables and publications that help decision-makers engage meaningfully with the scientific community and vice versa.

We also run the Foundation Future Leaders programme, which supports the next generation of scientists and engineers to develop the skills, networks and confidence to engage with policy and governance - helping to ensure that future leaders in STEM are equipped not just as practitioners but as advocates and shapers of the systems they work within.

Additionally, FST provides governance advice and support to learned and professional societies, helping the institutions that underpin the UK's scientific infrastructure to operate effectively and with integrity.

As FST approaches its 50th anniversary in 2027, our work has never been more vital. The decisions governments and institutions make about science and technology today will shape the world for decades to come. FST's role is to make those decisions better-informed, more inclusive and more connected to the evidence - and to the people whose lives depend on getting them right.