PolicyNet

Abbreviation and Acronym Dictionary

The Policy Department at The Royal Academy of Engineering have been compiling an Abbreviation and Acronym Dictionary that includes organisations, institutions and terms that are used within SET policy. If you have any acronyms to add to the list, please do not hesitate to contact the team. This dictionary will continue to expand and does not represent a definitive list of organisations, institutions, and terms.

Organisations and Institutions

AAAS: American Association for the Advancement of Science
AAIB: Air Accident Investigation Branch
AcMedSci: Academy of Medical Sciences
ABSW: Association of British Science Writers
AEBC: Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission
AHRB: Arts and Humanities Research Board
AIRTO: Applied Industrial Research Trading Organisations
AoC: Association of Colleges
APEG: Associate Parliamentary Engineering Group
AURIL: Association for University Research and Industry Links
AUT: Association of University Teachers
AWM: Advantage West Midlands (Regional Development Agency) Advantage West Midlands
BA: British Association (for the Advancement of Science)
BBSRC: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
BC: British Council
BCS: British Cardiac Society
BCS: British Computer Society
BMJ: British Medical Journal
BNSC: British National Space Centre
CAETS: International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences, Inc.
CBI: Confederation of British Industry
CCLRC: Council for Central Laboratories of the Research Council
CIC: Construction Industry Council
CMI: Cambridge-MIT Institute
CORDIS: Community Research and Development Information Service
CRAC: Careers Research and Advisory Centre
CRUK: Cancer Research UK
CSE: Campaign for Science and Engineering
CST: Council for Science and Technology
DCMS: Department for Culture, Media and Sport
DDA: Defence Diversification Agency
DEFRA: Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
DERA: Defence Evaluation and Research Agency
DfES: Department for Education and Skills
DFID: Department for International Development
DfT: Department for Transport
DH (or DoH): Department of Health
DPA: Defence Procurement Agency
Dstl: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
DTI: Department of Trade and Industry
DWP: Department for Work and Pensions
EAC: Environmental Audit Committee
EC(UK): Engineering Council (UK)
ECMT: European Conference of Ministers of Transport
EEF: Engineering Employers’ Federation
EMTA: Engineering and Marine Training Authority
EPSRC: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
ESA: European Space Agency
ESCI: European Society for Clinical Investigation
ESF: European Science Foundation
ESO: European Southern Observatory
EsoCE: European Society of Concurrent Engineering
ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council
ETB: Engineering and Technology Board
EURAB: European Research Advisory Board
Euro-CASE: European Council of Applied Sciences and Engineering
FCIT: Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport
FCO: Foreign and Commonwealth Office
FSA: Food Standards Agency
GCHQ: Government Communications Headquarters
HEFCE: Higher Education Funding Council for England
HESA: Higher Education Statistics Agency
HPA: Health Protection Agency
HMSO: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office
HRI: Horticulture Research International
HSE: Health and Safety Executive
IAH: Institute for Animal Health
ICE: Institution of Civil Engineers
IChemE: Institution of Chemical Engineers
ICSTI: International Council for Scientific and Technical Information
ICSU: International Council of Science Unions
IED: Institution of Engineering Design
IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
IET: Institution of Engineering and Technology
IMechE: Institution of Mechanical Engineers
IoD: Institute of Directors
IOB: Institute of Biology
IOM3: Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
IOP: Institute of Physics
IPMA: International Project Management Association
IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IRC: Interdisciplinary Research Centre
ISCES: International Society for Computational Engineering & Sciences
ITS: International Technology Service (DTI)
JRC: Joint Research Centre
LHC: Large Hadron Collider (at Cern)
LSC: Learning and Skills Council
MIEE: Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers
MoD: Ministry of Defence
MPA: Major Projects Association
MRC: Medical Research Council
NAE: National Academy of Engineering (US)
NAO: National Audit Office
NAPAG: National Academies Policy Advisory Group
NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NCI: National Cancer Institute
NDASP: National Defence and Aerospace Systems Panel
NERC: Natural Environment Research Council
NESTA: National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
NHM: Natural History Museum
NIBIB: National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
NICE: National Institute for Clinical Excellence
NICHD: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
NIESR: National Institute of Economic and Social Research
NIMH: National Institute of Mental Health
NIH: National Institutes of Health
NSILS: National Statistics Information and Library Service
NWDA: Northwest Development Agency
OECD: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
OFGEM: Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets
OGC: Office of Government Commerce
OHE: Office of Health Economics
OST: Office of Science and Technology
PHLS: Public Health Laboratory Service
PIU: Performance and Innovation Unit
POST: Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
PPARC: Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council
PREST: Policy Research in Engineering, Science and Technology (Manchester)
QCA: Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
RAEng: Royal Academy of Engineering
RAeS: Royal Aeronautical Society
RAIB: Rail Accident Investigation Branch
RCEP: Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
RCUK: Research Councils UK
RGS: Royal Geographical Society
RSM: Royal Society of Medicine
RI: Royal Institution of Great Britain
RIIA: Royal Institute of International Affairs
RIITE: Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth
RS: Royal Society
RSC: Royal Society of Chemistry
RSE: Royal Society of Edinburgh
RSM: Royal Society of Medicine
SACTRA: Standing Advisory Committee for Trunk Road Assessment
SBS: Small Business Service
SEAC: Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee
SDIG: Sustainable Development in Government
SEERA: Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs
SETNET: Science Engineering and Technology Network
SHEFC: Scottish Higher Education Funding Council
SHI: Scottish Health Innovations
SPIN: Science Policy Information News
SPRU: Science and Technology Policy Research (Sussex)
SRA: Strategic Rail Authority
SRIF: Science Research Investment Fund
SSC: Sector Skills Council
SSDA: Sector Skills Development Agency
SU: Strategy Unit
SWERDA: South West of England Regional Development Agency
TSSA: Transport and Salaried Staff Association
TTA: Teacher Training Agency
UCEA: Universities and Colleges Employers Association
UFAW: Universities Federation for Animal Welfare
UKCEED: UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development
UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
UNICO: University Companies Association
UUK: Universities UK
WEAF: West of England Aerospace Forum
WFEO: World Federation of Engineering Organisations
WHO: World Health Organisation

Terms

BEST: Better Engineering Students Today – Building Enterprise Success Tomorrowow
CAD: Computer Aided Design
CEng: Chartered Engineer
CPD: Continuing Professional Development
CPE: Campaign to Promote Engineering
CSA: Chief Scientific Advisor
ERA: European Research Innovation Area
FCGI: Fellow of the City and Guilds of London Institute
FCIOB: Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building
FICE: Fellow of the Institute of Civil Engineers
FIChemE: Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers
FIEE: Fellow of the Institution of Electrical Engineers
FIHT: Fellow of the Institution of Highways and Transportation
FIMechE: Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
FIMMM: Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining
FinstP: Fellow of the Institute of Physics
FIStructE: Fellow of The Institution of Structural Engineers
FMD: Foot and Mouth Disease
FRAeS: Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society
FREng: Fellow of The Royal Academy of Engineering
FRIBA: Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects
FRS: Fellow of the Royal Society
FRSA: Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
FRSC: Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
FRS: Financial Reporting Standards
GRA: Global Research Award (Royal Academy of Engineering)
HEI: Higher Education Institute
HEIF: Higher Education Innovation Funding
HRI: Horticulture Research International
IMI: Innovative Manufacturing Initiative
IP: Intellectual Property
IPR: Intellectual Property Rights
ISS: Industrial Secondment Scheme
KT: Knowledge Transfer
KTP: Knowledge Transfer Partnership (formerly TCS/Teaching Companies Scheme)
LEP: Light Emitting Polymer
NEP: Neighbourhood Engineer Programme
NDPB: Non-departmental Public Body
PDRF: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow(ship) (Royal Academy of Engineering)
PEST: Public Engagement in/with Science and Technology
PSA: Public Service Agreement
PUSET: Public Understanding of Science, Engineering and Technology
RAE: Research Assessment Exercise
RDA: Regional Development Agency
RTO: Research and Technology Organisation
SARS: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
SEA: Science and Engineering Ambassadors scheme
SME: Small and Medium Sized Enterprise
SME: Society of Manufacturing Engineers
SORP: Statement of Recommended Practice
SRF: Senior Research Fellow(ship) (Royal Academy of Engineering)
STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
STI: Science, Technology and Innovation
WISE: Women in Science and Engineering
YEB: Young Engineers for Britain

 

 

Updated July 2012

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