The UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA) is the personal adviser on science and technology-related activities and policies to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. They are also the head of the Government Office for Science.

The Government Chief Scientific Adviser has a significant public role as the government's most visible scientific expert. This was apparent, for example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the GCSA would regularly appear in television briefings alongside senior government ministers.

Many individual government departments have departmental Chief Scientific Advisers (CSA). ^[1] The GCSA is involved in recruiting CSAs, and meets regularly with CSAs to identify priorities, challenges and strategies. ^[2] The adviser also usually serves as chair of the UK's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). ^[3]

List of Government Chief Scientific Advisers

• Sir Solly Zuckerman, 1964–1971
• Sir Alan Cottrell, 1971–1974
• Robert Press, 1974–1976
• Sir John Ashworth, 1977–1981
• Sir Robin Nicholson, 1982–1985
• Sir John Fairclough, 1986–1990
• Sir William Stewart, 1990–1995
• Sir Robert May, 1995–2000
• Sir David King, 2000–2008
• Sir John Beddington, 2008–2013
• Sir Mark Walport, 2013–2017
• Sir Chris Whitty (interim), 2017–2018
• Sir Patrick Vallance, 2018–2023
• Dame Angela McLean, 2023–present ^[4]

See also

• Chief Medical Officer in the United Kingdom
• Chief Scientific Officer for England
• MoD Chief Scientific Adviser
• Government Office for Science
• Frederick Lindemann, 1st Viscount Cherwell
• Chief Science Advisor in Canada

References

External links

• Official website
• Website at Department for Business, Innovation and Skills at the Wayback Machine (archived 2014-03-01)
• The Role of the Chief Scientific Adviser at the Wayback Machine (archived 2007-10-13) – A discussion at the Royal Society, 2001.

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