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
- Anita Bhalla
- Tim Gardam
- Emma Kane, Senior Independent Member
- Seetha Kumar
- Professor Ambreena Manji
- Dr Bridget McConnell
- Professor Sue Rigby
- Professor Russell Viner, Chief Scientific Adviser
- Professor Adrienne Scullion
- Professor Steven Spier
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) members
- Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, Executive Chair
- Professor Ewan Birney
- James Briscoe, Senior Independent Member
- Professor Timothy Dafforn
- Andy Griffiths
- Professor Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Adviser (Observer)
- Professor Christine Orengo
- Dr Neil Parry
- Professor Guy Poppy
- Professor Joanna Susan Price
- Professor Steven Spoel
- Professor Eriko Takano
- Professor Ijeoma Uchegbu
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) members
- Stian Westlake, Executive Chair
- Anita Charlesworth
- Andrew Dilnot
- Professor Jane Duckett
- David Halpern
- Professor Lasana Harris
- Professor Todd Landman, Senior Independent Member
- Ben Page
- Professor Kimberley Scharf
- Sarah Sharples, Chief Scientific Adviser
- Professor Cecilia Wong
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) members
- Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair
- Dr Dave Smith, Chief Scientific Advisor
- Professor Jeremy Baumberg, Senior Independent Member
- Professor Dame Alison Etheridge
- Professor Deborah Greaves
- Professor Jane Hillston
- Professor Dame Xiangqian (Jane) Jiang
- Siân John
- Simon King
- Alan Newby
- Professor Martin Schröder
- Dr Joe De Sousa
- Professor Ian White
- Professor Andy Wright
Innovate UK Council members
- Dr Stella Peace, Interim Executive Chair, Innovate UK
- Dr Annette Doherty
- 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
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- Professor Patrick Chinnery, Executive Chair#
- Professor Sir Mark Caulfield
- Kay Boycott, Senior Independent Member
- Professor Lucy Chappell
- Professor Kim Graham
- Dr Roger Highfield
- Professor Simon Hollingsworth
- Dr Precious Lunga
- Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed
- Dr Andy Richards
- Professor Eleanor Riley
- Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell
- Professor Nadeem Sarwar
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) members
- Professor Louise Heathwaite, Executive Chair
- Cathrine Armour
- Professor Richard Bardgett
- Professor Hannah Cloke
- Professor Peter Cox
- Nick Folland
- Professor Kevin Gaston
- Professor Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Adviser
- Professor John-Michael Kendall
- Michael Lewis
- Clare Matterson
- Rashik Parmar, Senior Independent Member
- Professor John Pyle
Research England members
- Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Executive Chair
- Dr Carol Bell
- Professor Dame Julia Buckingham
- Dr Sharon Ellis
- Professor Colette Fagan
- Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan
- Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon
- Professor Dina Kiwan
- Professor Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad
- Dr Tony Raven
- Mike Rees
- Professor Colin Riordan
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) members
- Professor Michele Dougherty, Executive Chair
- Professor Stan Bentvelsen
- Professor Dave Charlton
- Lucy Edge
- Dame Patricia Hodgson
- Professor Jan-Theodoor Janssen
- Dr Jana Kolar
- Professor Jayne Lawrence
- Dr Angeli Möller
- Professor Andrew Pontzen
- Professor Andy Schofield
- Hitesh Thakrar
- Professor Carsten P Welsch
Last updated: 4 April 2025