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.
Council terms of reference
The UK Research and Innovation Council terms of reference were last updated in May 2023.
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) members
- Professor Christopher Smith, Executive Chair
- Zeinab Badawi
- Professor Dame Janet Beer
- Patricia Cumper
- Dame Judith Macgregor
- Professor Ambreena Manji
- Dr Bridget McConnell
- Professor Sue Rigby
- Professor Tom Rodden, Chief Scientific Adviser
- Professor Adrienne Scullion
- Monisha Shah, Senior Independent Member
- Dr Ayesha Siddiqi
- Professor Steven Spier
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) members
- Professor Guy Poppy, Interim Executive Chair
- Steve Bagshaw
- Professor Ewan Birney
- Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith
- Professor Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Adviser (Observer)
- Professor Martin Humphries
- Professor Andrew Millar
- Professor Christine Orengo
- Professor Joanna Susan Price
- Professor Nigel Scrutton
- Professor Malcolm Skingle
- Professor Steven Spoel
- Professor Ijeoma Uchegbu
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) members
- Stian Westlake, Executive Chair
- Professor Rachel Brooks
- Professor Jane Duckett
- Mike Emmerich
- Professor Lasana Harris
- Professor Todd Landman, Senior Independent Member
- Desirée Lopez
- Ben Page
- Professor Kimberley Scharf
- Sarah Sharples, Chief Scientific Adviser
- Professor Sir Bernard Silverman
- Professor Jackline Wahba
- Sir Christopher Wormald, Civil Service Attendee
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) members
- Professor Miles Padgett, Interim Executive Chair
- Alex van Someren, Chief Scientific Advisor
- Professor Alison Etheridge
- Professor Deborah Greaves
- Professor Nick Jennings
- Professor Dame Xiangqian (Jane) Jiang
- Siân John
- Professor Martin Schröder
- Professor Mark E Smith, Senior Independent Member
- Dr Joe De Sousa
- Professor Tim Whitley
- Dr Peter Williams
- Professor Andy Wright
Innovate UK Council members
- Indro Mukerjee, CEO
- Dr Annette Doherty
- Dr John Fingleton, Senior Independent Member
- Isabel Fox
- Chris Ganje
- John Gibson
- Tunde Olanrewaju
- Professor Jennifer Rubin, Chief Scientific Advisor
- Professor Julia Sutcliffe, Chief Scientific Advisor
- Dr Mark Treherne
- Professor Simon Weeks
Medical Research Council (MRC) members
- Professor Patrick Chinnery, Executive Chair
- Professor Lucy Chappell
- Professor Kim Graham
- Dr Roger Highfield
- Professor Simon Hollingsworth
- Dr Precious Lunga
- Richard Murley, Senior Independent Member
- Professor Jill Pell
- Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed
- Dr Andy Richards
- Professor Eleanor Riley
- Dr Graham Spittle
- Professor Irene Tracey
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) members
- Professor Peter Liss, Interim Executive Chair
- Judith Batchelar
- Professor Hannah Cloke
- Dr Matthew Harwood
- Dr Rebecca Heaton
- Professor Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Adviser
- Professor Sir Stephen Holgate
- Professor John-Michael Kendall
- Michael Lewis
- Clare Matterson
- Gordon McGregor
- Rashik Parmar, Senior Independent Member
- Professor John Pyle
Research England members
- Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Executive Chair
- Dr Carol Bell
- Dr Phil Clare
- Dr Sharon Ellis
- Professor Dame Janet Finch
- Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan
- Professor Ian Greer
- Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon
- Bronwen Maddox
- Professor Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad
- Mike Rees
- Professor Graeme Reid
- Professor Colin Riordan
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) members
- Professor Mark Thomson, Executive Chair
- Professor Jonathan Butterworth
- Professor Mike Dunne
- Professor Michele Dougherty
- Dame Patricia Hodgson
- Dr Angeli Möeller
- Professor Anu Ojha
- Professor Hiranya Peiris
- Professor Sheila Rowan
- Professor Andy Schofield
- Hitesh Thakrar
- Professor Pam Thomas
- Professor Carsten P Welsch
Last updated: 17 October 2023