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FUTURE LEADERS

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Future leaders in science, technology, research and innovation need not only knowledge of the sector they are in – be it higher education, industry, the civil service or elsewhere – but also an understanding of the other parts of the UK’s research and innovation system. The Foundation Future Leaders Programme seeks to support the leaders of tomorrow in building the links and knowledge that they will need.

The programme brings together a cohort of around 30 mid-career professionals over the course of a year, with approximately 10 representatives each from the research community, industry, and the civil service and wider public sector. Over a 12-month period, the group meet and discuss with senior figures from government, parliament, universities, large industry, SMEs, research charities and others. Just as importantly, Future Leaders present their own expertise, develop skills and make future contacts. The programme includes external visits and the development of an annual conference for a wider group of mid-career future leaders in science, technology, research and innovation.

2023 sees the fourth cohort of Foundation Future Leaders take part in the programme. Details of Foundation Future Leaders from earlier years can be found as follows:

  • The 2019/20 cohort are here.
  • The 2021 cohort are here.
  • The 2022 cohort are here,

The Foundation Future Leaders for 2023 are:

NAME POSITION ORGANISATION
Dr Feargus Abernethy Senior Spaceflight Project Officer The Open University
Miss Karen Ainsworth Research Nurse/ NIHR ARC NENC Practice Fellow South Tees NHS FT/NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria
Dr Justine Alford Communications and Partnerships Manager Climate Policy Radar
Mr Pawala Ariyathilaka Microtarget Physicist STFC – Central Laser Facility
Dr Pepita Barnard Research Fellow University of Nottingham
Mr Tariq Boussouara Head of Data Acquisition and Engineering Support TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory (TÜV SÜD NEL)
Miss Ashleigh Burton Project Manager DG Cities
Dr Louise Campbell Research Manager  Chief Scientist Office, Directorate-General Health and Social Care, Scottish Government 
Dr Parminder Kaur Chohan Adviser Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Mr Dean Cooper Leading Engineer (Band N) – Specialist Search Technical Services Metropolitan Police Service
Dr Harriet Davenport MRCVS Researcher Veterinary Policy Research Foundation (VPRF)
Dr Joy Egede Assistant Professor in Computer Science University of Nottingham
Mr Debo Gbakinro Senior PRAM Engineer High Speed Two Ltd
Dr Eun Sun Godwin Senior Lecturer in International Business Management University of Wolverhampton
Miss Jennifer Heyes Materials Engineer AWE
Dr Harriet Hunt Postdoctoral Research Fellow University of Exeter
Dr Orsolya Ihasz Lecturer in Entrepreneurship  Cranfield School of Management
Dr Adam Jellett Senior Policy Advisor BEIS
Dr Rachel Kelly Quality Specialist 3 Merck BioReliance
Dr Phylis Makurunje  Postdoctoral Research Officer Nuclear Futures Institute, Bangor University
Ms Charlotte Massey Strategy Development Manager for Net-Zero Ecosystems National Physical Laboratory
Dr Owen Metters Investment Manager Octopus Ventures
Dr Susanna Mills Public Health Specialty Registrar and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Lecturer Newcastle University
Dr Leona Morton Funding Manager TWI
Mr Mayowa Olonilua Research Psychologist  DSTL
Dr Amy Orben Programme Leader Track Scientist MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge
Ms Katherine Page Policy Manager UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources
Mrs Georgia Park Programme Manager The Royal Society
Dr John Pearson Technology Lead Innovation Rolls-Royce Plc
Dr Daniel Rathbone Assistant Director Campaign for Science and Engineering
Dr Sandeep Sandhu Head of Stakeholder Relationships Innovate UK KTN
Miss Rachel Stonehouse Policy Research Fellow The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
Mr Andrew Whitley Head of Office to the Chief Scientific Adviser Department for International Trade
Dr Jing (Jill) Zhao Senior Lecturer in Architecture University of Lincoln

 

Foundation Future Leaders in discussion with Lord Willetts, Chair of the Foundation for Science and Technology, during a visit to Parliament, October 2019. Foundation Future Leaders in discussion with Lord Willetts, Chair of the Foundation for Science and Technology, during a visit to Parliament, October 2019.
Foundation Future Leaders visiting Rolls Royce on March 31st, 2022. Foundation Future Leaders touring Rolls Royce on March 31st, 2022.

Foundation Future Leaders during a visit to Parliament, June 2023.

Visiting the Harwell Science Campus, 2023.
At RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments), Culham Science Centre, December 2019. Meeting of the Foundation Future Leaders at the Royal Society in London, February 2020.

At RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments), Culham Science Centre, December 2019.

Meeting of the Foundation Future Leaders at the Royal Society in London, February 2020.

The 2023 Foundation Future Leaders Programme is partly sponsored by AIRTO (the Association for Innovation, Research and Technology Organisations). The Foundation for Science and Technology gratefully acknowledges their support.

Future Leaders