Terms of reference and membership: high level stakeholder working group on EU exit, universities, research and innovation
Updated 11 October 2019
© Crown copyright 2019
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-exit-universities-research-and-innovation-stakeholder-working-group/terms-of-reference-and-membership-high-level-stakeholder-working-group-on-eu-exit-universities-research-and-innovation
This group provides a forum for government and representatives of the universities, science, research and innovation communities to discuss issues of common interest in approaching the UK’s exit from the EU.
Terms of reference
The overarching purpose of the group is to provide a forum for BEIS, DfE, DExEU, and a broad range of UK representatives of the universities, science, research and innovation communities to discuss issues of common interest in approaching the UK’s exit from the EU. The emphasis will be on considering all factors related to research and innovation that need to be taken into account as government policy develops.
This group is classified as a stakeholder working group according to the Cabinet Office guidance. This group will not replace other mechanisms that BEIS, DfE and DExEU use to engage with all stakeholders with an interest in this issue.
The group will:
- discuss the development of future policy on research and innovation both domestically and internationally in the light of the UK’s exit from the EU
- share information about changes to the wider research and innovation landscape that are, or are likely to become, relevant to research and innovation policy development following the UK’s departure from the EU
- share intelligence about the health of the universities, science, research and innovation communities
- where possible share evidence of the impacts and opportunities for these communities following the UK’s departure from the EU
Ways of working
The working group will be chaired by the Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation. BEIS and DfE will provide a joint secretariat reflecting the minister’s dual role. Depending on the agenda for each meeting, the minister from DExEU will attend.
The final agenda and any discussion papers will be issued 5 days before the meeting.
Topics for substantive discussion will be scoped out and agreed at the proceeding meeting, wherever possible.
Members are encouraged to participate fully in the discussion at working group meetings, and to represent the views and experiences of all parts of the sector about which they have expertise, not just the particular organisation to which they are affiliated. This is without prejudice to members’ rights to respond to any consultation or policy statement from the government from the viewpoint of the organisation that they represent.
Given the sensitive nature of some of the issues that might be discussed, the content of discussion will remain confidential.
As with all policy development, BEIS, DfE and DExEU will consider information from a number of sources before recommending a course of action to ministers and, while fully committed to taking the advice of the group seriously, will not be obliged to accept any particular recommendation of the group.
Similarly, BEIS, DfE and DExEU will not regard any conclusions that the working group reaches as being binding on the working group members or on the organisations that they represent.
All arrangements for the group’s operation, including membership, will be reviewed annually
Membership
Members represent senior representatives from the UK’s universities, science, research and innovation communities. They are selected on their ability to represent the views and experiences of this diverse sector of the UK’s economy. They also demonstrate individual expertise in science, research, innovation and higher education.
Current members are:
- Chris Skidmore MP (Chair): Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation (BEIS and DfE)
- James Duddridge MP: Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU)
- Professor Michael Arthur: Chair, Russell Group’s EU Advisory Group; President and Provost, UCL
- Felicity Burch: Director of Innovation, CBI
- Nicola Dandridge CBE: Chief Executive, Office for Students
- Professor Sir David Cannadine: President, British Academy
- Julian David: Chief Executive, TechUK
- Jo Shanmugalingam: Director General, Business and Science Group - Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
- Professor Dame Ann Dowling: President, Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE)
- Jeremy Farrar: Director, Wellcome Trust
- Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan: Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Impact), University of Ulster
- Professor Sir John Holman: President, Royal Society of Chemistry
- Seamus Nevin: Chief Economist, Make UK
- Alistair Jarvis: Chief Executive, Universities UK (UUK)
- Professor John Latham: Chair of University Alliance, Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University
- Professor Sir Robert Lechler: President, Academy of Medical Sciences
- Gordon McKenzie: Chief Executive, GuildHE
- Professor Sir Venki Ramakrishnan: President of the Royal Society
- Professor Graeme Reid: Chair, Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE)
- Professor Colin Riordan: President and Vice-Chancellor, Cardiff University
- Professor Andrew Thompson: Executive Chair, Arts and Humanities Research Council
- Dr. Patrick Vallance: Government Chief Scientific Adviser
- Dr. Greg Walker: Chief Executive of MillionPlus
- Professor Sir Mark Walport: CEO, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
- Professor Richard A Williams: Principal and Vice Chancellor, Heriot-Watt University
Membership of the working group is limited to a small number of senior representatives from the universities, science, research and innovation communities in order to facilitate open and in-depth discussion.
A member will not normally be permitted to delegate their place at a meeting to a substitute except where:
- the member is unable to avoid being absent from the meeting;
- that absence would significantly affect the quality of the discussion;
- the designated substitute for that member, who must be a standing substitute, has been agreed with the secretariat.
A member who is unable to attend the meeting in circumstances where the conditions for sending a substitute are not fulfilled may provide written comments in advance of that meeting to the secretariat.
Meeting dates
The working group aim to meet approximately every month for 2 hours. Members will be notified of meeting dates as far in advance as possible.