Governance

BR-UK's Governance structure is composed of a number of distinct committees to provide operational and scientific guidance which complement and support the working groups responsible for the day-to-day delivery of our research. Our governance processes have been designed to facilitate the relevant and necessary advice and guidance from within BR-UK, externally from international experts and from our funder in order to ensure we operate in a strategic and transparent manner.

Committees and Working Groups

BR-UK Directorate

The Directorate is composed of our Co-Directors (Professor Linda Bauld and Professor Susan Michie),  Deputy Director (Dr Sharon Cox) and Programme Manager, (Sancha Martin). With support from two BR-UK Administrators, the Directorate is responsible for day-to-day management of BR-UK operations and governance.  The wider research team includes Co-Investigators, Work Package and Theme leads and our cadre of researchers and early career researchers that will convene working groups as needed to deliver the specific research activities assigned to them.  The terms of reference for the following groups are available upon request from our Programme Manager - please email sancha.martin@ed.ac.uk to request a copy.

Leadership Group

The BR-UK Leadership group is composed of the Co-Investigators, Work Package and Theme leads and supports the Directorate in applying appropriate governance procedures across the Hub to oversee delivery of the research. The Leadership Group will also identify and establish working groups/sub-committees as necessary to oversee BR-UK work package, theme, and demonstration project-related deliverables.

International Scientific Advisory Board

The BR-UK International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB) provides scientific advice and a ‘challenge function’. It serves to ensure that our approach is informed by a global awareness, use of cutting-edge methods and best practice in advancing and applying behavioural theories and concepts.

The ISAB is chaired by Professor Ralph Hertwig, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin and the Deputy Chair is Dr Mareike Schomerus, Vice President, Busara. 

The current broader membership of the Board includes: 

  • Professor Tatiana Filatova, Professor of Computational Economics, Delft University of Technology
  • Professor Sabina Rashid, Dean & Professor BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health
  • Professor Robert Bohm, Professor of Social Psychology, University of Vienna & Copenhagen
  • Dr Karina Davidson, Director and Professor, Institute of Health System Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research
  • Professor Liam Delaney, Head of Department for Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics
  • Professor John de Wit, Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Science: Public Health and chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science at Utrecht University.
  • Professor Eva Rehfuess, Adjunct Professor, Dept of Environmental Science and Engineering, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Professor Katherine McComas,  Vice Provost for Engagement and Land-Grant Affairs, Office of the Provost & Professor, Department of Communication Cornell CALS
  • Jesper Akesson, Managing Director, The Behaviouralist  

Previous ISAB members:

  • Dr Goda Perlaviciute, Associate Professor, Public acceptability of sustainable transitions, University of Groningen.

The ISAB meets once annually and is consulted on an ad hoc basis as required in between meetings.

Knowledge Mobilisation Group

Knowledge Mobilisation is a critical approach for bridging the gap between research evidence, policy, and practice. By facilitating the sharing of diverse knowledge, fostering dialogue between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners; and integrating mobilisation strategies throughout research programmes, knowledge mobilisation enhances the relevance, accessibility, and impact of research evidence. Our aim is to enable and provide support for BR-UK research to have maximum and sustained impact and influence in policy and practice sectors, and other spaces outside of academia.   

The BR-UK Knowledge Mobilisation Group (KMG) provides strategic oversight and advice on knowledge mobilisation strategies, including support and advice on translating, communicating, and transferring behavioural research findings to policy and practice organisations, through appropriate engagement strategies.  

Its primary functions are to: 

  1. Provide guidance to BR-UK members with respect to appropriate knowledge mobilisation strategies for specific projects and activities.
  2. Link behavioural researchers to policymakers, government agencies, industry, third sector organisations, and communities to facilitate co-production, sharing, and use of evidence arising from BR-UK research.
  3. Provide advice on the development of BR-UK Capability Building Programme on Public Engagement and Stakeholder Involvement, specifically on knowledge mobilisation.
  4. Provide advice to the BR-UK Leadership and the wider team with respect to effective pathways to impact utilising knowledge mobilisation approaches. 

Governance Polices & Approaches

Good governance is underpinned by clear and transparent policies and procedures. In addition to the requirement for each working group and committee to develop dedicated terms of reference,  BR-UK has produced, revised and implemented policies related to our expected code of conduct and management of conflicts of interest. 

By developing these processes we aim to establish processes that guide our team to make appropriate decisions around ethics and behaviour in addition to creating a cohesive and positive team culture. Identifying and managing conflicts of interest proactively maintains the integrity of our team and approaches by ensuring that personal interests do not compromise professional judgment or the interests of the BR-UK.  It encourages transparency and openness by requiring disclosure of potential conflicts, acts to preserves our credibility and public trust by avoiding situations that could lead to perceived or actual impropriety and provides a framework for handling conflicts consistently across the Team. 

Find out more about our policies and approaches below. 

We have implemented a code of conduct which is designed to ensure that BR-UK’s research is conducted in a manner which maintains the highest standards of integrity, rigour and responsibility.  Whilst the ESRC Framework for Research Ethics sets out good practice for social science research including detailing their principles and expectations of researchers, research organisations (ROs), our code of conduct expands on this to outline the principles which should inform the conduct of BR-UK members. 


A potential or actual conflict of interest may also pose a reputational risk for BR-UK. Conflicts of interest can be of a financial or non-financial nature or both, and may exist at the individual or institutional level. All conflicts of interest must be declared.  This document outlines the considerations and approaches to the identification and management of potential conflicts of interest.

We use the definitions below when assessing and identifying potential or real conflicts to be aware of.

Conflict of InterestA conflict of interest arises in circumstances where there is potential that professional judgment or actions regarding a primary interest will be unduly influenced, or may reasonably be perceived to be unduly influenced, by a secondary interest.
Individual Conflict of InterestA conflict of interest involving an individual that may actually, or reasonably be perceived by others in the public health community to unduly, impair or unfairly influence their professional judgement when executing their role within BR-UK.
Institutional Conflict of Interest

A circumstance, situation or interaction involving a BR-UK member organisation or affiliate and an external organisation that may actually, or reasonably be perceived by others in the public health community to: 

  • Unduly influence BR-UK’s primary aim and objectives and/or
  • Unduly influence the independence and objectivity of BR-UK’s work.

Recognising and reporting that a conflict of interest may exist, or seeking advice on a potential conflict or interaction, is entirely proper, and reflects positively on an individual’s integrity. Conflicts of interest can be actual or perceived to be an actual conflict by others outside of the circumstance. Declared conflicts of interest carry no implication of wrong-doing and are often unavoidable as part of an individual’s many roles. Members of BR-UK, those participating in BR-UK events or receiving funding (or other resources) from BR-UK (such as from our Commissioning Fund) have a duty to consider the implications of any past, current or potential external relationships or circumstances that may, or could be perceived to, undermine the aims or reputation of the BR-UK Leadership Hub.


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