NHSF Annual Report, 2013-15
The Trustees' Annual Report for 2013-15 summarises NHSF's achievements in its first 18 months as it established as an organisation focussed on encouraging collaboration in the heritage science community and leading the delivery of the National Heritage Science Strategy.
In this period, NHSF's membership grew to 17 organisations and fully demonstrated the breadth of heritage science by including universities, heritage and conservation organisations, professional bodies and national museums, libraries and archives.
It established the NHSF Kit-Catalogue to facilitate the sharing of equipment between organisations, shared information on research strategies amongst members to enhance collaboration, provided a united voice for the sector in its responses to a wide range of consultations, published information on how to train as a heritage scientist to develop the capacity of the sector and established several communication platforms (monthly e-newsletter, Facebook, Twitter) to share information about heritage science news, funding, opportunities and achievements. It held its first 'Members and Friends' event in November 2015 at the British Museum World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre with Sarah Staniforth, CBE delivering the keynote "Glancing back and looking forward: Heritage Science in 2020". At the start of 2016, the Forum focussed its activities around three 'Grand Challenge' areas of partnerships and networks, resource-sharing and policy. These strategic themes have guided activity throughout the 2015-16 year.