Research England’s executive chair Jessica Corner is stepping down at the end of her four-year term.
Announcing her departure in a Linkedin post on 22 May, Corner confirmed that she would not seek another term at the research council responsible to distributing about £2 billion in quality-related (QR) research funding annually via the Research Excellence Framework and a further £500 million in strategic and knowledge exchange-related support.
Corner, who has led Research England since October 2022, said she had agreed to stay on until spring 2027 as UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) searches for her successor.
“It feels like the right moment to pause, reflect – and, as ever, look ahead with optimism,” said Corner on approaching the end of “four extraordinary years” leading Research England.
“What a privilege it has been to serve this remarkable community,” she wrote, adding: “I’ve had the chance to work alongside brilliant colleagues across universities, research institutes and government, all united by a shared commitment to the power of research and knowledge exchange.”
