The British Science Association is a Royal Charter charity. Our trustees ('Council') are responsible for governance, setting the vision and strategy, and overseeing the finances.

Find out more about our trustees here.

Our remit and our overall approach are set out in our governing documents: Royal Charter, the Statutes and the Roles. A revised Charter and Statutes was approved by the Privy Council on 3 April 2020. A copy of our Charter, Statutes and Rules is available on request. 

Sub-committees

Council is advised by several sub-committees on which sit a mixture of Council members and external specialists.  Council’s sub-committees are described below.

Finance Committee

This committee meets up to four times a year to review the management accounts and budgets, and advise other Council members on the financial basis for its strategic decisions.

Audit and Risks Committee

This committee has two independent members: John Misselbrook and Raj Dadra (chair). It meets twice a year to oversee the annual independent audit and to actively manage risks.

Nominations Committee

This committee meets ad hoc, as needed, to fill vacancies or skills gaps on Council or any of its sub-committees.

Advisory Groups

The BSA also receives valuable advice from appointed groups of specialist advisors. Some current examples are given below.

For Thought Advisory Group

For Thought is our annual thought leadership event for senior leaders in business, research and policy. The advisory group, chaired by Lord David Willetts, provides insight and guidance about the programme and partnerships for the programme.

Education Stakeholders Group

These education specialists meet once per term to review the progress of our CREST Awards programme and advice on future developments and partnerships.