Reappointment of the NERC chief executive

Universities & Science Minister Jo Johnson today announced the reappointment of Professor Duncan Wingham as chief executive of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

Jo Johnson said:

"I am very pleased to reappoint Professor Wingham for a further term as chief executive of NERC. His breadth of experience and expertise in environmental science will continue to be important as he leads NERC to support world-class science and increase knowledge and understanding of the natural world."

Professor Duncan WinghamSir Anthony Cleaver, chair of NERC, said:

"Duncan has been an outstanding chief executive of NERC and I am delighted that his term of office has been extended. His focus on demonstrating the impact of research and his vision and clarity of thinking have helped maintain Britain's leading position in environmental research."

Professor Wingham said:

"There has never been a more exciting time in UK environmental research, with initiatives such as those in the Southern Ocean and Arctic pushing the frontier of our knowledge further, promising long-term gains in our well-being and security. It will be a privilege to serve NERC and our community again as we work with the public, investigators, funders, industry and government to discover new approaches to the grand challenges faced by our society."

The appointment is from 1 January 2016 until 31 December 2017.

NERC is the UK's main agency for funding research in atmospheric, Earth, biological, terrestrial and aquatic sciences. In the 2015 Spending Review, the government protected science funding of £4·7bn in real terms over the Parliament. The government is also funding a £1·5bn new Global Challenges Fund.

For further information see here.