Government Chief Scientific Adviser

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; and head of the Government Office for Science.

He has a significant public role as the government's most visible scientific expert.

As of 2011, every individual government department has its own departmental Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA). The Department for Health has a Chief Scientist in addition to its Chief Scientific Advisor. The GCSA has no formal management responsibility for departmental CSAs and is free to provide advice to all departments, including those that have their own chief scientific adviser. The GCSA and departmental CSAs sit on a Chief Scientific Adviser's Committee (CSAC), a cross-departmental forum for the discussion of science issues, chaired by the GCSA.

List of Government Chief Scientific Advisers

• Sir John Beddington, 2008–
• Sir David King, 2000–2008
• Sir Robert May, 1995–2000
• Sir William Stewart, 1990–1995
• Sir John Fairclough, 1986–1990
• Sir Robin Nicholson, 1982–1985
• Dr John Ashworth, 1977–1981
• Dr Robert Press, 1974–1976
• Sir Alan Cottrell, 1971–1974
• Sir Solly Zuckerman, 1964–1971

See also

• Chief Medical Officer in the United Kingdom
• Chief Scientific Officer for England
• MoD Chief Scientific Adviser
• Government Office for Science

External links

• Official webpage
• The Role of the Chief Scientific Adviser A discussion at the Royal Society, 2001.