UKRI readvertises Research England executive chair role

The job of next Research England chair has been readvertised by UKRI, with a new application deadline of 30 August.

The role was first advertised in May, with a closing date of 21 June, after Jessica Corner announced she would stand down after completing her four-year term in post. Writing on LinkedIn at the time, Corner said she would be likely to leave in spring 2027, having agreed with UKRI chief executive to extend her tenure while recruitment for her successor was underway.

The job of executive chair comes with a salary of £160,000-170,000, plus potential for performance-related pay, and is being offered on a permanent, open-ended basis, although secondments are permitted as is the case for many of the current funding council chairs.

The readvertisement of the role comes after it was announced in March that Arts and Humanities Research Council executive chair Christopher Smith would continue in post following an “unsuccessful recruitment exercise” to find his successor – his term had been due to conclude in August 2026. At the time, Ian Chapman said that “despite having strong candidates, we concluded that none of the applicants were quite right for the role.” Smith is to stay on “while a succession plan is developed.”