Brian Robert Bowsher OBE FRSC FInstP (born 12 July 1957) is a British chemist, and was the Chief Executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) between November 2016 and March 2018. He is also a non-executive member of the board for the Defence Science and Technology Board (Dstl). [1]
He was born in Birmingham. He attended Handsworth Grammar School then Fosters Grammar School (now Foster's School) in Dorset. From the University of Southampton he obtained a BSc degree in Chemistry in 1978 and then received a PhD degree in 1981.
He was Managing Director of the National Physical Laboratory from 2009 to 2015. [2] From 2002 to 2009 he had various division-head and director roles at the Atomic Weapons Establishment.
He married Sally Smith in 1987 and they have one son. He lives in Wareham, Dorset.
Imperial College London (Imperial) is a public research university in London, England. Its history began with Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, who envisioned a cultural area in South Kensington that included museums, colleges, and the Royal Albert Hall. In 1907, these colleges – the Royal College of Science, the Royal School of Mines, and the City and Guilds of London Institute – merged to form the Imperial College of Science and Technology.
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is the national measurement standards laboratory of the United Kingdom. It sets and maintains physical standards for British industry.
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is "to maximise the impact of science and technology for the defence and security of the UK". The agency is headed by Paul Hollinshead as its chief executive, with the board being chaired by Adrian Belton. Ministerial responsibility lies with the Minister for Defence Procurement.
Sir William Duncan Paterson Stewart was President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1999–2002 and Chairman of the Microbiological Research Authority.
Martin John Earwicker was Director of the National Museum of Science and Industry group of British museums from 2006 until 2009. Prior to taking on this role, he was Chief Executive of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).
Sir Brian Edward Frederick Fender, is an English academic executive.
Dame Patricia Anne Hodgson is a British broadcasting executive, competition regulator, and academic administrator.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is a United Kingdom government agency that carries out research in science and engineering, and funds UK research in areas including particle physics, nuclear physics, space science and astronomy.
Keith Mason was, until 1 November 2011, the Chief Executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) of the United Kingdom. He assumed the post on 1 April 2007 after the merger of the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC) and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), having previously been chief executive of PPARC.
Dame Susan Catherine Campbell, Baroness Campbell of Loughborough, is a British sports administrator who was chairman of UK Sport between 2003 and 2013.
Sir Alan Hugh Cook FRS was an English physicist who specialised in geophysics and metrology. He worked at the University of Cambridge, National Physical Laboratory, and the University of Edinburgh. From 1977-79 Cook was President of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) is an executive agency of the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for the United Kingdom's civil space programme. It was established on 1 April 2010 to replace the British National Space Centre (BNSC) and took over responsibility for government policy and key budgets for space exploration; it represents the United Kingdom in all negotiations on space matters. The Agency "[brings] together all UK civil space activities under one single management". It is based at the former BNSC headquarters in Swindon, Wiltshire.
Sir George Gray Macfarlane was a British engineer, scientific administrator and public servant.
Ajit Ram Verma (1921–2009) was an Indian physicist. For his work in crystallography, he was awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in 1964. He was director of the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) for almost seventeen years (1965–1982). In 1982, the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, was conferred on him by the President of India.
Sir Steven Charles Cowley is a British theoretical physicist and international authority on nuclear fusion and astrophysical plasmas. He has served as director of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) since 1 July 2018. Previously he served as president of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, since October 2016. and head of the EURATOM / CCFE Fusion Association and chief executive officer of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).
Michael Joseph Crumpton CBE, FRS was Director of Research (Laboratories) for the Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories based in London.
The NPL network, or NPL Data Communications Network, was a local area computer network operated by a team from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in London that pioneered the concept of packet switching.
Dame Karen Margaret Holford is a Welsh-domiciled engineer, professor of mechanical engineering and vice-chancellor and chief executive of Cranfield University. She was formerly deputy vice-chancellor at Cardiff University. She is also a former pro vice-chancellor of the College of Physical Sciences and Engineering and head of the School of Engineering. She is an active researcher of acoustic emission and her work has been applied to damage assessment inspections on industrial components.
Andrew Dawson Taylor was director of the Science and Technology Facilities Council National Laboratories – Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Daresbury Laboratory, and the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh until his retirement in 2019.
Peter Thompson is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) since 2015. Before joining NPL, Thompson assumed different roles at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).