MOD Chief Scientific Adviser

Professor Vernon Gibson CB BSc DPhil CChem FRSC FRS

Biography

Vernon was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire and educated at The King’s School, Grantham. He read Chemistry at the University of Sheffield before moving to Oxford to study for his doctorate. He later held the Sir Edward Frankland Chair of Inorganic Chemistry at Imperial College London.

In 2008 he moved to industry as a Chief Scientist at BP plc.

He joined the Ministry of Defence as Chief Scientific Adviser in 2012, where he was responsible for nuclear and non-nuclear science and technology.

Vernon was elected to the Royal Society in 2004, and in 2020 was awarded the Lord Lewis Prize for his work in policy setting at the interface of academia with industry and government. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2017 Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for services to Defence.

Vernon is married to Sue, with two grown-up children.

MOD Chief Scientific Adviser

The Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) is MOD’s principal adviser on science and technology, with responsibility for directing research through the MOD’s core S&T research portfolio. The CSA reports to the Permanent Secretary, is a member of the Joint Requirements Oversight Committee (JROC) and the Investment Approvals Committee, and is Co-Chair of the Research Technology and Innovation Board (RTIB).

Responsibilities

The MOD Chief Scientific Adviser is responsible for:

  • setting strategic direction and providing leadership for science and technology within Defence
  • ownership of MOD’s science and technology research portfolio
  • ensuring that Defence develops and sustains critical science and technology capabilities needed
  • advising ministers and senior officials on science and technology matters
  • providing an independent challenge function to MOD, ensuring science and engineering evidence and advice for policies and decisions is robust
  • international strategic science and technology collaboration
  • science Profession in the Department, as the Head of the Science Profession for MOD
  • working with the wider community of Chief Scientific Advisers to share good practice and resolve cross departmental problems.

MOD CSA is oversees the MOD CSA (Nuclear) (CSA(N) who deals with all CSA matters Nuclear within Defence on behalf of MOD CSA. This is currently fulfilled by Professor Robin Grimes.

Ministry of Defence

Previous roles in government

  • MOD Chief Scientific Adviser