Director of the UK-CDS Secretariat announced

25 May 2007

The appointment of the first Director of the UK Collaborative on Development Sciences (UK-CDS) has today been announced. The UK-CDS is a new body set up to help to boost the contribution UK scientific research makes to benefit the world's poorest people and countries.

Dr Andrée Carter will take up the post on 18 June 18 of this year.She is currently the Director of Science and Environment at ADAS UK Ltd, the UK's largest independent provider of environmental solutions, rural development services and policy advice.

The UK-CDS, the establishment of which was announced by the Secretary of State for International Development on 6 December 2006, will bring together key funders of development science. The collaboration will help improve coordination of UK medical, agricultural, environmental and other areas of research that will help combat disease and eradicate poverty in the developing world.

Speaking of her appointment, Dr Carter commented: "The establishment of the UK-CDS offers an exciting opportunity for the UK research community to strengthen its contribution to development sciences. Improved coordination and collaboration will add significant value to the excellent work that the UK already produces in support of policy and providing sustainable solutions to support developing countries meet their social, economic and environmental targets. I am looking forward to working with a wide range of stakeholders in the future."

Sir David King, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, who chaired the development sciences working group that recommended the creation of UK-CDS, said:

"Tackling poverty, hunger and disease in the world's poorest countries is one of our greatest global challenges. This will not be managed sustainably without a strong and dedicated commitment from science and technology.

"UK-CDS will help draw together key research funders and organisations working in this area to share ideas and boost collaborations."

The Director's prime function will be to lead and manage the work of the UK-CDS secretariat and to support and advise the UK-CDS Board in order to: create a framework for a more coordinated approach to development sciences research; raise the understanding and profile of development science research in the UK; and identify the challenges and opportunities of changing approaches to national and international research funding.

The Director and secretariat staff will be employed by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the secretariat will be hosted by the Wellcome Trust.

The board of the UK-CDS will initially comprise senior representatives from the Department for International Development (DFID), the Office of Science and Innovation, UK Research Councils, the Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health. The board will initially be chaired by Professor Sir Gordon Conway the Chief Scientific Adviser at DFID.

Dr Carter is a highly experienced senior manager and director specialising in strategy, policy and research issues concerning the rural environment. She has worked closely with the UK Government, European governments and corporate organisations.She developed her early career with the Soil Survey and Land Research Centre, Cranfield University, becoming an international expert on pesticide fate and behaviour.

Dr Carter moved to ADAS UK Ltd in 1997 to develop the business through new initiatives; she established the specialist risk assessment group Cambridge Environment Assessments. She is also Programme Director for the Natural England, Environment Sensitive Farming and Conservation Advice Programmes, which help farmers and land managers adapt to legislation and policy changes to protect the environment.

Media contact

Mike Findlay
Wellcome Trust Media Office
T +44 (0)20 7611 8612
E m.findlay@wellcome.ac.uk

The original announcement of the UK-CDS Partnership is available from the DFID website.

DFID: leading the British Government's fight against world poverty
One in five people in the world today - over 1 billion people - lives in poverty on less than one dollar a day. DFID has committed to doubling its research budget by 2010. More information on how DFID allocates its research budget is available from the DFID website and the Research for Development website.

The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending around £500 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) is dedicated to improving human health through excellent science. It invests on behalf of the UK taxpayer. Its work ranges from molecular-level science to public health research, carried out in universities, hospitals and a network of its own units and institutes. The MRC liaises with the Health Departments, the National Health Service and industry to take account of the public's needs. The results have led to some of the most significant discoveries in medical science and benefited the health and wealth of millions of people in the UK and around the world.

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest funding agency for research and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It supports independent, high quality research relevant to business, the public sector and voluntary organisations. The ESRC's planned total expenditure in 2007/08 is £181 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and research policy institutes.

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funds world-class science - in universities and its own research centres - that increases knowledge and understanding of the natural world. NERC is tackling the 21st century's major environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity and natural hazards. It leads in providing independent research and training in the environmental sciences.