Gareth Roberts (Scientist)
Encyclopedia
Sir Gareth Gwyn Roberts FRS, FREng (16 May 1940 – 6 February 2007), was a Welsh
physicist
specialising in semiconductors and molecular electronics
, who was influential in British science policy through his chairmanship of several academic bodies and his two reports on the future supply of scientists and how university research should be assessed. He was knighted in 1997 for his services to higher education.
, Caernarvonshire, North Wales
, he studied physics to PhD
level at the University College of North Wales, Bangor, graduating in 1964.
Following posts at the New University of Ulster and the University of Durham, where he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1984, he was appointed to a Visiting Professorship in the Department of Engineering Science
at Oxford and to a Fellowship at Brasenose College in 1986. He presented the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
in 1988.
He was a member of the Prime Minister
's Advisory Council on Science and Technology from July 1989 to July 1992.
He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield
from 1991 to 2000. From 1995 to 1997 he was Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals
(now called Universities UK). In 1997 he was also President of the Institute of Physics
and was knighted for his services to higher education.
From August 1997 to August 2005 he was on the Higher Education Funding Council for England
(HEFCE) Board, and chaired the Board's Research Committee.
He was the founding president of the Science Council
from 2000 to 2007.
He was appointed President of Wolfson College, Oxford
in 2001 and died in office. He also held a Visiting Professorship in Science Policy at the Saïd Business School
.
He was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering
in 2003. In June 2006 he was elected chairman to Engineering and Technology Board, succeeding Sir Peter Williams
.
.
Later, he was Chairman of cancer diagnostics and pathology specialist Medical Solutions plc, and of the management committee of the University of Oxford's Begbroke Science Park
, and was also a board member of Isis Innovation
, the exploitation arm of the University.
paid to PhD students, and a number of initiatives to encourage women and young people to consider a career in science.
(RAE) of 2001, the four funding bodies for UK higher education commissioned Sir Gareth Roberts to review the future of research assessment in the UK. The report "The review of research assessment" was issued for consultation in May 2003. Many of Roberts' recommendations were implemented for the 2008 RAE, the first review following the completion of the consultation exercise.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
physicist
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
specialising in semiconductors and molecular electronics
Molecular electronics
Molecular electronics, sometimes called moletronics, involves the study and application of molecular building blocks for the fabrication of electronic components...
, who was influential in British science policy through his chairmanship of several academic bodies and his two reports on the future supply of scientists and how university research should be assessed. He was knighted in 1997 for his services to higher education.
Academic and public service career
Born in PenmaenmawrPenmaenmawr
PenmaenmawrConwyPenmaenmawr is a town in the parish of Dwygyfylchi, in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The population was 3857 in 2001. It is a quarrying town, though the latter is no longer a major employer, on the North Wales coast between Conwy and Llanfairfechan.The town was bypassed by the A55...
, Caernarvonshire, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, he studied physics to PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
level at the University College of North Wales, Bangor, graduating in 1964.
Following posts at the New University of Ulster and the University of Durham, where he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1984, he was appointed to a Visiting Professorship in the Department of Engineering Science
Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford
The Department of Engineering Science is the focus of study of engineering science at Oxford University, England. It is located on the triangular plot formed by Banbury Road to the west, Parks Road to the east and Keble Road to the south. The main building is the tall 1960s Thom Building that...
at Oxford and to a Fellowship at Brasenose College in 1986. He presented the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are a series of lectures on a single topic, which have been held at the Royal Institution in London each year since 1825. The lectures present scientific subjects to a general audience, including young people, in an informative and entertaining manner....
in 1988.
He was a member of the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
's Advisory Council on Science and Technology from July 1989 to July 1992.
He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
from 1991 to 2000. From 1995 to 1997 he was Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals
Universities UK
Universities UK began life as the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century when there were informal meetings involving Vice-Chancellors of a number of universities and Principals of university colleges...
(now called Universities UK). In 1997 he was also President of the Institute of Physics
Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
and was knighted for his services to higher education.
From August 1997 to August 2005 he was on the Higher Education Funding Council for England
Higher Education Funding Council for England
The Higher Education Funding Council for England is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in the United Kingdom, which has been responsible for the distribution of funding to Universities and Colleges of Higher and Further Education in England since...
(HEFCE) Board, and chaired the Board's Research Committee.
He was the founding president of the Science Council
Science Council
The was established by Royal Charter in 2003. The principal activity of The Science Council is the promotion of the advancement and dissemination of knowledge of and education in science pure and applied, for the public benefit....
from 2000 to 2007.
He was appointed President of Wolfson College, Oxford
Wolfson College, Oxford
Wolfson College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Located in north Oxford along the River Cherwell, Wolfson is an all-graduate college with over sixty governing body fellows, in addition to both research and junior research fellows. It caters to a wide range of...
in 2001 and died in office. He also held a Visiting Professorship in Science Policy at the Saïd Business School
Saïd Business School
Saïd Business School is the business school of the University of Oxford in England, located on the north side of Frideswide Square on the former site of Oxford Rewley Road railway station. It is the University's centre of learning for graduate and undergraduate students in business, management...
.
He was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering
Royal Academy of Engineering
-Overview: is the UK’s national academy of engineering. The Academy brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering....
in 2003. In June 2006 he was elected chairman to Engineering and Technology Board, succeeding Sir Peter Williams
Peter Williams (physicist)
Sir Peter Michael Williams, CBE, FREng, FRS is a British physicist.Williams completed his first degree and PhD at the University of Cambridge, and began an academic career at Selwyn College. He then moved to industry and worked first at VG Instruments and later Oxford Instruments...
.
Industrial career
He has held two major industrial posts, the first in the United States, where he was senior research scientist with the Xerox Corporation and later as Director of Research and Chief Scientist of Thorn EMIThorn EMI
Thorn EMI was a major British company involved in consumer electronics, music, defence and retail. Created in October 1979 when Thorn Electrical Industries merged with EMI, it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but it demerged again in...
.
Later, he was Chairman of cancer diagnostics and pathology specialist Medical Solutions plc, and of the management committee of the University of Oxford's Begbroke Science Park
Begbroke Science Park
Begbroke Science Park is a science park located five miles north of Oxford, England. It is owned and managed by Oxford University. It lies within the parish of Begbroke, although it is only accessible from the village of Yarnton on the A44....
, and was also a board member of Isis Innovation
Isis Innovation
Isis Innovation Ltd is a British technology transfer company, wholly owned by the University of Oxford, located in Summertown, Oxford, England.- Overview :...
, the exploitation arm of the University.
SET for Success
In March 2001, the UK Government commissioned Roberts to undertake a review into the supply of science and engineering skills in the UK. The final report, entitled SET for Success was published on 15 April 2003. The report set out thirty-seven recommendations to the Government, employers and other organisations about how to maintain and develop the supply of people with science, technology, engineering and mathematical skills into research and industry. All his recommendations were accepted by the Government. These included providing additional resources for schools, universities and research bodies, and the promotion of school/business links. The review led to increase of the stipendStipend
A stipend is a form of salary, such as for an internship or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from a wage or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work performed, instead it represents a payment that enables somebody to be exempt partly or wholly from waged or salaried...
paid to PhD students, and a number of initiatives to encourage women and young people to consider a career in science.
The review of research assessment
In June 2002, after the Research Assessment ExerciseResearch Assessment Exercise
The Research Assessment Exercise is an exercise undertaken approximately every 5 years on behalf of the four UK higher education funding councils to evaluate the quality of research undertaken by British higher education institutions...
(RAE) of 2001, the four funding bodies for UK higher education commissioned Sir Gareth Roberts to review the future of research assessment in the UK. The report "The review of research assessment" was issued for consultation in May 2003. Many of Roberts' recommendations were implemented for the 2008 RAE, the first review following the completion of the consultation exercise.
External links
- Research Councils UK
- Joint funding bodies’ Review of research assessment
- SET for Success, Final Report of Sir Gareth Roberts' Review
- Roberts recommendations on the UK GRAD programme website
- Science Council Founding President of the Science Council
- Obituary in The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, 22 February 2007 - Obituary in The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 17 March 2007 - Obituary in The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, 5 March 2007 - Obituary in The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, 20 March 2007