Endowment clears parliamentary hurdles

The chairman and trustees of the new National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts are expected to be announced in the next few weeks as the fund to support scientists and artists this week passed its final parliamentary hurdle.

The National Lottery Bill, of which NESTA is a small part, completed its path through the Lords on Monday and is expected to get royal assent in early July. NESTA, of which newly ennobled broadcaster Melvyn Bragg is tipped to be the first chair, will use lottery money to give grants to individuals in science, technology and the arts to fund ideas through to development and commericalisation.