The University of Edinburgh is currently seeking an experienced leader as its Vice-Principal Research and Innovation (VP-R&I). This exciting senior leadership post offers a major opportunity for an outstanding appointee to shape and reimagine the landscape of research, innovation, industrial engagement and commercialisation in one of the world’s top global universities.
Why should you join us? We are ranked 1st in the world for ‘industry, innovation and infrastructure’ in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings and, in recent years, have climbed from 15th to become one of the top 5 UK universities for business engagement. Last year alone we supported 127 company launches; 11 staff spinouts and startups; 116 student startups; and helped drive investment of £141m into our portfolio of companies. Strong collaboration between our researchers and our sector-leading commercialisation arm, Edinburgh Innovations, enables these successes. Working closely with Edinburgh Innovations, our new VP-R&I will have the ambition and experience to increase our research readiness, grow our £1M plus translational grants, boost our strategic partnerships, successfully embed our innovation career pathway and develop innovative new venture incubators and commercialisation models.
In the Research Excellence Framework, we were 4th in the UK for the quality and breadth of our research (research power), and Scotland’s top ranked HE Institution. Submitting approximately 2800 staff, almost 90% of our research activity was classified as ‘world leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’ (a growth of 10% since REF 2014). Five subject areas were ranked as the best in the UK, and 21 out of 28 disciplines were judged to be in the top five in the UK. This strength in research and innovation underpins a significant global reputation: 27th and 30th in the 2025 QS World University 30th in the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, respectively. We are proud of these results, but aware of the risk of complacency: seed-corn funding, impact support and a strong focus on research culture, delivered through our Edinburgh Research Office and Schools, ensures our researchers can continue to deliver the highest-quality research excellence and impact. The new VP-R&I will oversee our REF 2029 submission, working closely with the Provost and Vice-Principal Heads of College. They will inspire our community to achieve the very best outcomes, with the positive attitude and resilience required to manage a complex performance-assessment project, and a clear ambition that we retain our UK and global reputation as a research and impact powerhouse.
The economic impact of the University of Edinburgh’s research and knowledge exchange is significant, estimated as £3.2 billion in the year 21-22. Over the last decade, we have progressively grown our research portfolio, now winning approximately £500m annually. We are a leading partner of many UK, EU and global funders, including UKRI, Wellcome Trust, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, and the Mastercard, Simons, Bill and Melinda Gates and Human Dignity Foundations. Our world-leading Centres of Excellence include the MRC Human Genetics Unit, BBSRC’s Roslin Institute, AHRC’s Software Sustainability Institute and EPSRC’s Partnership Hub in Microscale Science and Technology. We are founder members of the Alan Turing, Rosalind Franklin, Health Data Research UK and UK Dementia Research Institutes, and work with industry partners on other major centres of excellence (e.g., Legal and General Advanced Care Research Centre; Baillie Gifford Centre for Technomoral Futures). We are also global leaders in data, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, driven through our £600m Edinburgh and South-East Scotland Data-Driven Innovation Initiative, which is already delivering well-beyond our Government economic growth TRADE KPIs.
We aim to build on these successes through our recently launched Research and Innovation Strategy. This balances provision of support for all our researchers, achieved through research culture change, impact and global partnerships support, with a focus on three significant cross-cutting University strategic missions: shaping the future of health and care; tackling the climate and environmental crisis; harnessing data, digital and AI for public good. A new Regional Innovation Action Plan, developed with Scottish Enterprise and Innovate UK, further sets a clear direction of travel for us to scale up innovation, entrepreneurship and adoption in healthcare, advanced sustainable manufacturing, robotics, fintech and other emerging technology. Success here requires the ability to understand the needs of industry, governments, local councils and third sector organisations, and facilitate and encourage our researchers to provide solutions to the challenges of those partners.
Given these requirements, the successful candidate will need to be a seasoned, credible leader of research and innovation in academia and/or industry, able to work collaboratively and supportively with other members of the Senior Leadership Team. Experience of working in, or with industry, would ensure the ability to unlock the research translation required to drive our research readiness ambitions, growing our innovation, impact and commercialisation outcomes. Given the breadth of the University’s research base, and our three strategic research and innovation missions, the VP-R&I will also understand the value of interdisciplinarity collaboration and embracing novel emerging technologies. Further, they will act as a role model for positive research culture, integrity and equal opportunities.
This exceptional post offers the appointee the opportunity to gain broad experience in senior leadership in a global world-leading university and make a key contribution to economic growth in the region, UK and globally. The successful candidate will be offered broad support to develop their career and realise their potential in a supportive and collegial senior team environment.
As a University, and Senior Leadership Team, we are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and welcome applicants who reflect the diversity we wish to see in our staff and student community, including at senior levels.
For further information please click the download appointment details icon below. If you would like to discuss this opportunity further or have any questions about the role, please contact Eljoh Balajadia at Eljoh.Balajadia@perrettlaver.com or on +44 (0) 203928 7375.
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