Pre-appointment hearing for UKRI chair candidate
The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee will hold a pre-appointment hearing with the government’s preferred candidate for the role of chair of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz.
UKRI, launched in April 2018, is a non-departmental public body that allocates research and innovation funding to research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. The government has announced that public R&D spending will reach £22.5bn a year by 2029-30 - UKRI is expected to deliver £38.6 bn of this over FY 2026-27 and 2029-30.
Meeting details
A pre-appointment hearing is an opportunity for a select committee to scrutinise the quality of ministerial decision-making over appointments. The committee will examine the candidate’s suitability for appointments, including their knowledge and skills. The committee will then publish a short report and verdict the proposed appointment in the days following the session.
Professor Borysiewicz has held senior leadership roles across research, medicine, and higher education. He has most recently served as Chair of Cancer Research UK from 2016-2023, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 2010-2017, and Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council from 2007-2010.