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
- Zeinab Badawi**
- Professor Hagan Bayley
- Professor Dame Janet Beer
- Professor Sir Drummond Bone – Senior Independent Member
- Patricia Cumper MBE FRSA**
- Professor Sir David Eastwood
- Professor Anthony Lilley
- Dame Judith Macgregor
- Professor Fiona Macpherson
- Professor Ambreena Manji
- Professor Tom Rodden – Chief Scientific Adviser
- Professor Adrienne Scullion**
- Monisha Shah – Senior Independent Member**
- Professor Greg Walker
- Professor Chris Wickham
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council members
- Professor Melanie Welham – Executive Chair
- Steve Bagshaw*
- Professor Ewan Birney
- John Bloomer
- Dr Belinda Clarke
- Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith FRS FMEDSCI**
- Professor Ian Graham
- Professor Laura Green
- Professor Gideon Henderson – Chief Scientific Adviser
- Professor Martin Humphries
- Professor Andrew Millar
- Professor Christine Orengo FRS**
- Professor Nigel Scrutton FRS**
- Professor Malcolm Skingle
- Professor David Stephens
- Professor Ijeoma Uchegbu*
Economic and Social Research Council members
- Professor Alison Park – Interim Executive Chair
- Professor Diane Coyle CBE – Senior Independent Member
- Professor Jane Duckett*
- Mike Emmerich
- Professor Jane Falkingham OBE
- Dr Lasana Harris
- Professor Dame Rachel Griffith
- Professor Todd Landman*
- Desirée Lopez*
- Professor Melinda Mills MBE
- Ben Page*
- Professor Sir Bernard Silverman
- Professor Sir Simon Wessely
- Sir Christopher Wormald – Civil Service Attendee
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council members
- Professor Dame Lynn Gladden DBE – Executive Chair
- Professor Stephen Belcher – Chief Scientific Adviser
- Professor Dame Muffy Calder DBE
- Professor Alison Etheridge OBE
- Professor Nick Jennings CB
- Siân John MBE*
- Professor Martin Schröder*
- Professor Sarah Sharples
- Professor Mark E Smith CBE – Senior Independent Member
- Dr Joe De Sousa
- Professor Ian Walmsley
- Professor Tim Whitley
- Dr Peter Williams
- Professor Andy Wright
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
- Chris Ganje**
- John Gibson**
- Priya Guha
- Sir Harpal Kumar
- Professor John Latham CBE
- Tunde Olanrewaju**
- Caroline Plumb OBE**
- 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
- Dr Andy Richards CBE**
- 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
- Judith Batchelar OBE
- Professor Hannah Cloke OBE
- 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
- Michael Lewis**
- Clare Matterson, CBE
- Gordon McGregor
- Professor John Pyle CBE
- Professor Dame Julia Slingo OBE DBE
Research England members
- David Sweeney – Executive Chair
- Dr Richard Armour
- Professor Naren Barfield
- Kellie Beirne
- Dr Carol Bell
- Dr Phil Clare
- Professor Dame Jessica Corner
- Professor Nandini Das
- Dame Janet Finch
- Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan**
- Professor Ian Greer FMedSci
- Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE**
- Mike Rees
- 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 Jonathan Butterworth**
- Professor Mike Dunne
- Dick Elsy
- Dame Patricia Hodgson**
- Professor Richard Kenway
- Professor Anu Ojha
- Benedict Olivier
- Professor Hiranya Peiris
- Professor Sheila Rowan
- Professor David Rugg
- Professor Tony Ryan
- Dr Dame Frances Saunders
- Professor Andy Schofield**
- Professor Pam Thomas**
* formally joining on 01 January 2021
** formally joining from 01 April 2021.