EPSRC Deputy Director, Planning, Operations and Governance
Dr Samantha Francis is the Deputy Director for Planning, Operations and Governance at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Her role provides operational leadership to the organisation, supporting the Chief Operating Officer, and is responsible for a diverse portfolio including:
- organisational staff resourcing
- operational expenditure oversight
- governance
- assurance
- risk
- general operations and change activities
As an EPSRC senior leader, she has relationship management responsibilities with key strategic partnerships.
Samantha has been involved with several large strategic projects in digital research infrastructure as well as being the Joint Senior Responsible Owner with the Met Office on the ExCALIBUR programme.
In her previous roles she provided strategic oversight for governmental priority areas such as semiconductors and future telecoms as well as being the Programme Director for the Future Telecommunications Technology Mission Fund programme.
Samantha joined EPSRC in 2007 after completing a Master’s Degree in Physics at the University of Bristol. Samantha has held a number of positions at EPSRC including:
- Cross-Disciplinary Interfaces Portfolio Manager
- Head of Peer Review
- Head of Balancing Capability
- Head of the Information and Communication Technologies Theme
- prior to this role, Deputy Director in Research Base covering Research Infrastructure for over four years
She is also a Trustee for the Daphne Jackson Trust and the treasurer for a local pre-school nursery.
Last updated: 31 March 2025