Each council is led by an Executive Chair advised by a council of external members. Our nine councils work with their research and innovation communities and wider stakeholders to develop and implement delivery plans that contribute to delivering our strategic objectives.
Members include representatives from the academic community, business, civil and public sector. They meet regularly and report to the Executive Committee.
Arts and Humanities Research Council members
- Professor Christopher Smith – Executive Chair
- Professor Hagan Bayley
- Professor Dame Janet Beer
- Professor Sir Drummond Bone – Senior Independent Member
- Professor Sir David Eastwood
- Professor Anthony Lilley
- Dame Judith Macgregor
- Professor Fiona Macpherson
- Professor Ambreena Manji
- Professor Tom Rodden – Chief Scientific Adviser
- Professor Greg Walker
- Professor Chris Wickham
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council members
- Professor Melanie Welham – Executive Chair
- Professor Ewan Birney
- John Bloomer
- Dr Belinda Clarke
- Professor Ian Graham
- Professor Laura Green
- Professor Martin Humphries
- Professor Andrew Millar
- Professor Malcolm Skingle
- Professor David Stephens
- Professor Gideon Henderson – Chief Scientific Adviser
Economic and Social Research Council members
- Professor Jennifer Rubin – Executive Chair
- Professor Diane Coyle CBE – Senior Independent Member
- Mike Emmerich
- Professor Jane Falkingham OBE
- Dr Lasana Harris
- Professor Rachel Griffith CBE
- Professor Melinda Mills MBE
- Professor Sir Bernard Silverman
- Professor Anna Vignoles CBE
- Professor Sir Simon Wessely
- Professor John Aston – Chief Scientific Adviser
- Sir Christopher Wormald – Civil Service Attendee
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council members
- Professor Dame Lynn Gladden DBE – Executive Chair
- Professor Mark E Smith CBE – Senior Independent Member
- Professor Dame Muffy Calder DBE
- Dr Joe De Sousa
- Professor Alison Etheridge OBE
- Professor Nick Jennings CB
- Professor Sarah Sharples
- Professor Ian Walmsley
- Professor Tim Whitley
- Dr Peter Williams
- Professor Andy Wright
- Professor Stephen Belcher – Chief Scientific Adviser
Innovate UK members
- Dr Ian Campbell – Interim Executive Chair
- Dr Arnab Basu
- Baroness Brown of Cambridge
- Matt Clifford MBE
- Professor Juliet Davenport OBE
- Dr John Fingleton – Senior Independent Member
- Isabel Fox
- Priya Guha
- Sir Harpal Kumar
- Professor John Latham CBE
- Sir William Sargent
- Dr Mike Short CBE – Chief Scientific Adviser
- Stephen Welton
Medical Research Council members
- Professor Fiona Watt – Executive Chair
- Dr John Brown
- Professor Kim Graham
- Dr Roger Highfield
- Professor John Iredale
- Dr Precious Lunga
- Richard Murley
- Professor Jill Pell
- Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed
- Professor Eleanor Riley
- Dr Graham Spittle
- Professor Irene Tracey
- Professor Charlotte Watts
- Dr Pauline Williams
- Dr Louise Wood
Natural Environment Research Council members
- Professor Sir Duncan Wingham – Executive Chair
- Nick Folland – Senior Independent Member
- Dr Matthew Harwood
- Professor Louise Heathwaite CBE
- Dr Rebecca Heaton
- Professor Gideon Henderson – Chief Scientific Adviser
- Professor Sir Stephen Holgate
- Professor Karin Lochte
- Clare Matterson, CBE
- Gordon McGregor
- Professor Dame Julia Slingo OBE DBE
Research England members
- David Sweeney – Executive Chair
- Dr Richard Armour
- Professor Naren Barfield
- Kellie Beirne
- Dr Phil Clare
- Professor Dame Jessica Corner
- Professor Nandini Das
- Dame Janet Finch
- Professor Graeme Reid
- Professor Deborah Smith
Science and Technology Facilities Council members
- Professor Mark Thomson – Executive Chair
- Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE
- Professor Isabelle Baraffe
- Professor Mike Dunne
- Dick Elsy
- Professor Richard Kenway
- Professor Anu Ojha
- Benedict Olivier
- Professor Hiranya Peiris
- Professor Sheila Rowan
- Professor David Rugg
- Professor Tony Ryan
- Dr Dame Frances Saunders