He has a significant public role as the government's most visible scientific expert.

Many individual government departments have their own departmental chief scientist. The CSA has no formal management responsibility for departmental chief scientists and is free to provide advice to all departments, including those that have their own chief scientist. The CSA and departmental chief scientists sit on a Chief Scientific Adviser's Committee, a cross-departmental forum for the discussion of science issues, chaired by the CSA.

List of Chief Scientific Advisers

• Prof John Beddington 2008-
• Sir David King, 2000 - 2008
• Sir Robert May, 1995 - 2000
• Sir William Stewart, 1990 - 1995
• Sir John Fairclough, 1986 - 1990
• Sir Robin Nicholson, 1982 - 1985
• Dr John Ashworth, 1977 - 1981
• Dr Robert Press, 1974 - 1976
• Sir Alan Cottrell, 1971 - 1974
• Sir Solly Zuckerman, 1964 - 1971

See also

• Chief Medical Officer in the United Kingdom
• MoD Chief Scientific Adviser

External links

• Official webpage
• The Role of the Chief Scientific Adviser A discussion at the Royal Society, 2001.