Welcome to Professor Sir John Edmunds, who has joined FCDO as the successor to Professor Charlotte Watts, in the role of Chief Scientific Adviser and Director of Research and Evidence Directorate. He is on secondment from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he is Professor of Infectious Disease Modelling.

Chief Scientific Advisers (CSAs) are credible and authoritative Civil Service leaders who bring scientific and engineering evidence and advice to the centre of policy and operational decision-making in Government They play a pivotal role in ensuring that government decision-making is informed by robust, relevant, and high-quality science and engineering evidence. Serving as a direct adviser and independent challenger to ministers and policymakers, the CSA oversees systems that underpin policy with scientific expertise, convenes respected advisory groups, and leads departmental research and development strategy.

The CSA also fosters strong links across government, academia, and international partners while providing expert insight during emergencies and guiding the department’s engagement with national and global scientific issues.

As Director of Research and Evidence Directorate, he oversees FCDO’s portfolio of Global Research and Technology Development investments.