Chair and Governing Board member, Nuffield Council on Bioethics 

By Nuffield Foundation

We are looking to appoint a Chair and one independent member to the Governing Board overseeing the work of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics as part of its new 5-year strategy, ‘Making Ethics Matter’. 

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics 

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) was established in 1991 and is an independent deliberative body, funded and housed within the Nuffield Foundation and co-funded by Wellcome and the Medical Research Council.  

The NCOB works to put ethics at the centre of decisions regarding biomedicine and health. It identifies, analyses and advises on ethical issues in biomedicine and health with the aim that decisions in these areas benefit people and society.  It has recently published its strategy for the next years and further details can be found on its website. It is made up of a Council of independent members supported by an executive who are employees of the Foundation. The NCOB is independent in terms of the delivery of its work on its chosen topics, its conclusions and recommendations.  

The NCOB is accountable to its funders for delivering its strategy as set out in its funding arrangements, and for keeping its topic selection within an agreed remit. Responsibility for governance oversight of the NCOB rests with a small Governing Board.   

The Governing Board oversees the work of the NCOB to ensure that it remains within remit, works efficiently and effectively, and adheres to the terms of the grants it receives and the arrangements by which it is constituted. It has oversight of any additional third-party funding received by the NCOB, and takes a view on reputational risk.  

The Governing Board is made up of three officers, each representing one of the NCOB’s core funders, plus three independent members, one of whom is the independent Chair. The Chair of the Governing Board is not a member of the Council. 

The roles 

We are now seeking to appoint a Chair and one independent Board member to join the four other Board members to oversee the work of the Council, providing assurance that the topics selected for work within the Strategic Plan are within the remit of the Council, and to oversee the NCOB’s strategic and operational risk management and financial operations. 

Candidates for the Chair, and the independent Board member positions will need to understand and be committed to the mission, functions, and role of the NCOB. They will need to have experience in providing good governance and be able to adhere to the Nolan principles of public life.  Both roles require an understanding of public policy and candidates should have a background or interest in public health and life sciences. 

Both the Chair and Board member should be skilled communicators, be comfortable and credible interacting across a wide range of stakeholders.   

As Chair of the Governing Board, you will need to have a strategic mindset and be confident in offering effective challenge and assurance to the funders, to ensure that the five-year Strategic Plan is being delivered.  You need to be a skilled chairperson and facilitator with extensive leadership skills, be able to manage complex debates, and have a good understanding of strategic governance.  

As our Governing Board member, you should have experience in policy and public engagement, preferably, but not necessarily, in a field related to the life sciences and public health. You would bring expertise in evaluating the performance, impact and effectiveness of the NCOB with regards to influencing the formation of policy over the short, medium and long term.  

The NCOB has both a national and international remit; however, Board members would ideally have experience of the UK regulatory, policy and parliamentary environment. Some understanding of the policy and research landscape in which NCOB operates and its distinctive role in relation to, for example, the work of the Research Councils, would also be helpful. 

The full role descriptions can be found here: 

Commitment and communication 

Members serve on the Governing Board for up to three years, with the possibility of an additional three-year term.  

The Chair of the NCOB’s Governing Board may be asked to report to the Trustees of the Nuffield Foundation once a year and may also meet as required with the Chief Executive of the Nuffield Foundation.  

Whilst the Board normally meets twice a year, the overall time commitment for the Chair is expected to be up to 7-8 days per year, and 4-5 days per year for the Board member.  Members of the Governing Board will sometimes need to be contacted outside of the meetings to discuss, for example, questions of topic selection and additional funding that need to be resolved between the official meetings. 

In recognition of the time commitment anticipated, there is a small honorarium for both positions. 

Further information, and applications 

For further information or to apply, please email the Nuffield Foundation at recruitment@nuffieldfoundation.org with a CV and a covering letter summarising your reasons for applying and your relevant experience. Please also confirm in your letter which position(s) you wish to be considered for. 
 
All applications will be treated and followed up in strict confidence.  

The closing date for applications is 5pm 15 April 2024, with interviews expected to take place in late April 2024.  

By Nuffield Foundation

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We improve people’s lives by funding research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare and Justice. We also fund student programmes that give young people skills and confidence in science and research.

We offer our grant-holders the freedom to frame questions and enable new thinking. Our research must stand up to rigorous academic scrutiny, but we understand that to be successful in effecting change, it also needs to be relevant to people’s experience.

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