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For more information on the membership or Terms of Reference for either of these Committees, please contact Sophie Armstrong-Brown.

The various committees below ensure that the strategic vision of the College and the Faculty is implemented across all departments.

Each Research Committee is comprised of members drawn from a pool of experts from each department. This ensures the appropriate expertise is available to assesss the plan and development of the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

Members of staff are encouraged to raise any issues with the research strategy team who will bring these items at the appropriate committee meeting.

FoNS Research Committees

Faculty Research Committee

Directors of Research develop the research strategy for their Department in consultation with their Heads of Department and colleagues as appropriate. They sit on the Faculty Research Committee (FRC) where they share their strategy and discuss cross-Faculty initiatives and opportunities with other FRC members. The FRC is chaired by the Vice-Dean (Research), Professor Ramon Vilar. The FRC meets monthly with specialist panels on ad hoc basis.

If there is an item that you would like to see discussed at the FRC, please contact your Director of Research.

Terms of Reference

  • To review research strategy and its implementation within FoNS, and provide advice to the Dean and Vice-Dean (Research)
  • To promote research excellence across FoNS
  • To work closely with FoNS Departments to support their research strategy. To this aim, Directors of Research should ensure effective two-way communication between Departments and FRC
  • To explore and help develop new research initiatives, including multidisciplinary inter-Departmental and inter-Faculty initiatives
  • To proactively help identify partners for specific research objectives and initiatives
  • To review and explore funding opportunities from a broad range of agencies (including UKRI, international funding agencies, charities and other organisations)
  • To support and enhance engagement with industry, including strategic partnerships and impact
  • To support and enhance engagement with trusts and foundations and philanthropic donors
  • To review FoNS research infrastructure and practice with a view to identifying challenges, improving effectiveness of research and academic staff and minimising internal competition
  • To help shape College’s research strategy
  • To provide advice to College on research policy documents, consultation and research assessments
  • To disseminate information regarding policies and opportunities for FoNS research
  • To review and rank internal funding applications as they arise

Membership 

Chair:  Faculty Vice-Dean Research (Ramon Vilar)

Members: FoNS Directors of Research

  • Centre for Environmental Policy (Audrey de Nazelle)
  • Chemistry (Mark Crimmin)
  • Life Sciences (Doryen Bubeck)
  • Mathematics (Mauricio Barahona)
  • Physics (Riccardo Sapienza)

Ex officio members

  • Associate Dean for Enterprise (David Klug)
  • FoNS Director of Research Strategy and Development (Sophie Armstrong-Brown)
  • Head of Partnerships (Viraj Perera)
  • FoNS Head of Development (Natalie Sauter)

Secretary and minuting secretary

  • FoNS Strategic Research Coordinator (Giuliana Mastropietro)
Faculty Computing Committee

Faculty of Natural Sciences Computing Committee

Membership

Chair: FoNS Research Computing representative (David Colling)

Ex officio:

  • Faculty Dean (Richard Craster)
  • Faculty Vice-Dean of Research (Ramon Vilar)
  • Faculty Vice-Dean of Education (Mike Tennant)
  • Head of Research Computing Service (Andrew Richards) 
  • Research Engagement Lead (Emily Lumley)
  • Director of User Engagement (Mike Bearpark)
  • Lead Digital Partner (Ellen Pengelly)
  • Graduate School (Katerina Michalickova)
  • Director of Customer Success (Okan Kibaroglu)
  • CISO (Thomas Willson)
  • Faculty Data Protection Officer (Debbie Oram)
  • Director of FoNS EdTech Lab (Moira Sarsfield)
  • FoNS Strategic Research Co-ordinator (Craig Bryce) – minuting secretary

Departmental Representatives:

  • Centre for Environmental Policy (Iain Staffell)
  • Chemistry (Fernando Bresme)
  • Life Sciences (Mike Sternberg & Will Pearce)
  • Mathematics (Eric Keaveny)
  • Physics (David Colling & Richard Bantges)

Terms of Reference

  • To liaise with the RCS regarding the research computing environment and to ensure that the needs of FoNS are satisfied.
  • To liaise with ICT and engender best practise between departments regarding the teaching of computational skills and the use of computing in teaching.
  • To liaise with ICT on all aspects of computing infrastructure, policy and implementation and to ensure that the needs of FoNS are satisfied.
  • To communicate with the FoNS departments on all aspects of computing through the departmental representatives and their deputies.
  • To communicate best practise between FoNS departments on computing related matters and to encourage collaboration where appropriate.
  • To advise the RCS, ICT and the FoNS management on the strategic directions and initiatives in computing in FoNS related areas (including National initiatives etc)   
  • To enable communication, strategic decision-making and collaborations in the area of research computing and data science training for postgraduate students.