The British Science Association (BSA) is pleased to announce three new trustees who will serve as members of the BSA’s Council. The BSA is governed by a Council which forms the Board of Trustees. Each trustee serves a three-year term and can stand for a re-election for a second term.

The trustees, who will commence their three-year term this month, are:

• Kevin Coutinho as Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Lead Trustee
• Sarah Chaytor as Vice President for Policy, Partnerships & Impact (PPI)
• Phil Smith as Community Engagement Lead Trustee

Find out about the BSA’s council

Kevin Coutinho

Kevin Coutinho is currently Pro-Director, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and brings extensive experience of both EDI programme implementation principles and practice.

Kevin is also an experienced board member as Chair of Trustees at the Windsor Fellowship. In addition to his subject matter knowledge, Kevin is well networked in the science community with roles at the Linnean Society of London and Faraday Institution.

Kevin Coutinho says:

“I’m honoured to have been appointed as a trustee for the BSA, an organisation which has extensive experience in addressing EDI challenges in the wider science sector. It is encouraging to see the organisation continue the legacy of their previous EDI Advisory Group and cement these efforts into their governance. I’m thrilled to start working with the team; sharing knowledge and furthering the BSA’s progress and leadership in the EDI space.”

Learn about the BSA’s EDI commitments

Sarah Chaytor

Sarah Chaytor is the Director of Strategy & Policy for UCL Research, Innovation & Global Engagement and a co-investigator at Capabilities in Academic-Policy Engagement (CAPE) and the International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO). Sarah is also the co-Chair of UPEN, the Universities Policy Engagement Network. Sarah’s role at UCL includes overseeing the UCL Public Policy programme and building UCL’s capacity to engage with public policy; leading research policy and stakeholder engagement work; and advising the Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation and Global Engagement). Prior to joining UCL, Sarah held policy roles with the Russell Group, Wellcome and Universities UK and as a parliamentary researcher and for a think tank.

Sarah Chaytor says:

“I’m delighted to be able to work alongside the BSA team, and in particular contribute to their Policy, Partnerships and Impact programmes and their commitment to making science relevant for everyone. I admire the wide-ranging research the team has conducted in recent years, and their enthusiasm for a more equitable policy landscape is infectious. I am thoroughly looking forward to exploring how I can support this work.”

Find out more about the PPI team and programmes

Phil Smith

Phil Smith’s role is Executive Director of Partnerships at Sport England and he was formerly Head of Public Affairs at the Football Association. With broad board and governance experience, Phil brings insight from seeking to engage those who have not felt that ‘sport is for them’. Phil also brings practical knowledge of community grant-making through his role at Sport England.

Phil Smith says:

“I’m really excited to be involved with the BSA. Their Community Engagement and Grants programmes have gone from strength to strength over the past few years, enabling more people from underrepresented backgrounds to take part in science in a way that’s meaningful and relevant to them. It will be fascinating to see the crossover with the world of sport!”

Explore our community engagement work

The trustees will support the BSA in achieving the vision set out in our 10-year strategy for a future where science is more relevant, representative and connected to society.

Hilary Newiss, Chair of the British Science Association, says:

“On behalf of the BSA’s Council, I’m delighted to welcome three incredibly knowledgeable and experienced people to the BSA’s Board of Trustees. The breadth of expertise from Kevin, Sarah and Phil will be invaluable to achieving the BSA’s vision of a future science landscape that is more representative, relevant and connected to wider society.

“I’m looking forward to working with our current and new trustees, whose collective commitment to the BSA’s work is clear. We’re glad to be able to continue supporting the BSA’s staff in delivering programmes that make science more inclusive and accessible.”

Find out more about the BSA’s vision

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