One of Britain’s most senior nuclear scientists has been named the next chief executive of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Ian Chapman, who currently heads the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), will take over at the £9 billion research funding body in the summer, it was announced on 25 February.

His appointment follows a year-long search for a successor to Ottoline Leyser, who said back in January 2024 that she would step down in 2025, at the end of her five-year term of office.

The hunt for Leyser’s replacement, which was initially launched in February 2024 by the then-Conservative government, was relaunched in August following Labour’s general election victory. Science minister Patrick Vallance said he was keen for someone who could bring together people from different disciplines and sectors to solve problems, while the research agency – which oversees the nine research councils – would also have a greater focus on economic growth.

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Chapman, who has been chief executive of the UK’s largest energy research organisation since 2016, currently leads an organisation with more than 2,000 scientists and engineers at its Culham site near Oxford.

His UKRI appointment follows a rapid rise for the Durham University maths and physics graduate, who only finished his PhD at Imperial College London in 2008. The Guernsey-born physicist continued his plasma physics research at UKAEA’s Culham site, becoming fusion programme manager in 2015 before taking the organisation’s top job in 2016.

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The 42-year-old joined UKRI’s board as non-executive director in April 2024, having been knighted in the 2023 New Year’s Honours list for services to global fusion energy.

Welcoming Chapman’s appointment, Vallance said: “Sir Ian’s leadership experience, scientific expertise and academic achievements make him an exceptionally strong candidate to lead UKRI in pursuing ambitious, curiosity-driven research as well as innovations that will unlock new benefits for the UK’s people and drive our Plan for Change” – the latter referencing Labour’s mission-led approach to government in which economic growth, clean energy and reforming the NHS are prioritised.

The science minister also thanked Leyser for her “pivotal work in guiding UKRI through challenging times, notably during the Covid pandemic and through the UK’s return to participation in Horizon Europe”.

UKRI’s chair Andrew Mackenzie praised Leyser’s “outstanding five years as UKRI’s CEO”.

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“She has delivered a step change in operational effectiveness and cross-discipline work through collective and inclusive leadership and secured more social and commercial impacts from our investments,” he said.

jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com