Together, Professor Gooberman-Hill and Professor George offer a wealth of experience and their complementary visions are expected to aid the developing role of UK CORI.
UKRI Chief Executive Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Professor George and Professor Gooberman-Hill as the UK CORI co-chairs.
“They are exemplary researchers who will bring both energy and wide experience to the role.
“UK CORI is starting as it means to go on: operating as co-chairs sets a great example for the kind of collaborative working through which the research and innovation system thrives.”
Professor Gooberman-Hill is director of a large interdisciplinary research institute at the University of Bristol.
An anthropologist by training, she has built national and international collaborations that have research integrity, governance, and support for continual improvement at their heart. She led the development of the UK’s first research integrity committee and her energy and principled approach have established strong foundations for UK CORI.
Professor Gooberman-Hill said: “Both Andrew and I believe in the quality, strength and importance of UK research.
“As co-chairs of UK CORI we’re fully committed to supporting research to take pride in its integrity.”
Professor George has leadership and management experience across several sectors and has overseen the development of work improving research transparency and ethics within the NHS.
He also oversaw education and international partnerships during his time as Deputy Vice Chancellor at Brunel University.
Professor George said: “As co-chairs, our vision is for UK CORI to contribute to a values-based approach to research integrity, and we believe in recognising and involving the public as co-owners of research."
Sharing the role and responsibilities of chair, Professors George and Gooberman-Hill are setting an example of the cooperative and collaborative approach they wish UK CORI to take across the sector.
However, no two individuals can encompass the full range of experience that UK CORI will need and the co-chairs are excited to continue the process of appointing members to join the committee.
UK CORI is expected to meet for the first time in late spring 2022.
UK CORI is an independent committee, first recommended by the previous House of Commons Science and Technology Committee in their 2018 report.
UK CORI will not have the authority to independently verify whether an institution has followed appropriate processes when investigating a case of alleged misconduct. However the committee will discuss how safeguards, standards and expectations for misconduct processes can be set, and what sort of assurance framework would be appropriate.
The new chairs and UKRI extend a huge thank you to Dr Helen Munn OBE for the crucial work she did as interim chair.