Professor Ian Diamond, chief executive of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), has this week been re-elected as chair of Research Councils UK (RCUK) Executive Group. Professor Diamond has served as chair for the past year and was re-elected for another 12 month term by the other seven Research Council chief executives that make up the RCUK Executive Group.
Professor Diamond said: "The next 12 months should be challenging and rewarding. RCUK faces many challenges in the coming year; for example delivering better and more efficient services to the research community; promoting the Research Councils’ engagement with business and contribution to wealth creation; working with the Office of Science and Technology to make the best case for science funding in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review; and enthusing young people about science."
Professor Diamond continued: "These and many other areas, including the financial sustainability of the UK research base, and investing in the infrastructure of major research facilities are important issues for all eight of the UK’s Research Councils and benefit from a coherent and collective approach. I value the opportunity to work with my fellow Chief Executives and their teams over the next 12 months to ensure that we continue to collaborate effectively to maximise the excellence and impact of UK research."
The RCUK Executive Group provides the forum through which Research Council chief executives collectively own, drive and monitor the strategic and operational activities that deliver the RCUK mission. As well as chairing the monthly meetings between chief executives, the chair of RCUKEG acts as a spokesperson for the Research Councils on major cross-cutting issues, and meets regularly with the DGRC. All Research Council chief executives share the responsibility for representing RCUK interests, giving interviews or giving evidence collectively on behalf of the others.
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Contact
Matt Goode, RCUK Media Officer
Research Councils UK
Tel: 01793 413299
Notes for editors
The chair of the RCUK Executive Group (RCUKEG) is selected annually from amongst serving Research Council chief executives and the group is supported by the RCUK Secretariat. RCUKEG meets monthly. Meeting agendas and reports of the main discussions and actions agreed are published shortly after each meeting. Further information can be found on the RCUK Executive Group pages.
RCUKEG was set up in October 2004 in response to the 2004 review of RCUK, to bring about a clear separation between RCUK and government.
At the same time OST established the Joint OST/RCUK Working Group for Strategy or Joint Strategy Group (JSG). This group is chaired by the Director General of Research Councils (DGRC) and provides a forum through which the chief executives of the Research Councils can meet with OST to discuss strategic issues and in which RCUK can provide expert advice to DGRC. The group meets quarterly and is supported by OST.
RCUKEG and JSG replace the original Research Councils UK Strategy Group (RCUKSG), which led RCUK activities between May 2002 and July 2004.
About Research Councils UK
Research Councils UK (RCUK) is the partnership between the UK's eight Research Councils. Through RCUK, the Research Councils work together to champion the research, training and innovation they support. The Research Councils are independent non-departmental public bodies, funded by the Science Budget through the Office of Science and Technology.
RCUK was created to increase the collective visibility, leadership and policy influence of the Research Councils; to stimulate multi-disciplinary research that encourages collaboration; to provide a single focus for collective dialogue with stakeholders and to encourage greater harmonisation of internal operations.
The partnership is led by the RCUK Executive Group, which meets monthly and comprises the chief executives of the eight Research Councils. The Group is currently chaired by Professor Ian Diamond, Chief Executive of the Economic and Social Research Council.
The eight UK Research Councils are:
- Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
- Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC);
- Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC);
- Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC);
- Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC);
- Medical Research Council (MRC);
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC);
- Particle Physics & Astronomy Research Council (PPARC).