Copus grant applications are assessed by an independent panel, whose expertise reflects the wide scope of applications we receive. Members of the panel contribute in a personal capacity. Procedures exist to permit members of the Panel to apply to the Schemes.

The Panel is under review at present - the revised membership of the Panel will be published here shortly.

Please note that all enquiries regarding Copus grant applications should be made to the Copus Officer, and not to individual members of the Panel. Neither members of the Panel nor the Copus Officer can provide Supporting Statements in support of Copus grant applications.

Professor John Pickett FRS (Chair) is Head of the Biological Chemistry Division at Rothamsted Research.

Maria Adebowale is Director of Capacity, a charity active in the area of public participation in the fields of poverty, environment & sustainable development.

Anjana Ahuja is science correspondent for The Times and a member of the Royal Society's Science in Society committee.

Sheila Anderson is Head of Communications at the Natural Environment Research Council. Sheila and her group organise events, produce publications and work with the media to communicate NERC's science to a wide range of audiences. She runs training courses in communication skills for scientists. She is a research scientist by training, having spent much of her career with the Sea Mammal Research Unit.

Peter Briggs is Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey at Roehampton.

David Dowle is Director of Public Relations at the Institution of Electrical Engineers which, with 140,000 members, is Europe's largest organisation for professional engineers. He spent his early career as a journalist before moving into press office and media relations work, joining the Institution of Electrical Engineers from the Metropolitan Police where he was Deputy Director of Public Affairs. As Director of Public Relations, he is responsible for public and media relations, marketing communications and schools activities.

Dr Jane Gregory is a lecturer in science communication at University College London.

Dr Carolyn Heeps is Environmental Policy Manager at The Crown Estate. Her remit includes offshore power development. Formerly Head of Education at the National Museums and Galleries of Wales, Reader and Director of the Centre for Coastal Conservation and Education at Bournemouth University and Education Officer for the Marine Conservation Society. She has 17 years experience in the development of innovative formal and informal marine and coastal education training programmes for all ages and abilities. She has received numerous awards and Fellowships for public education initiatives, including Winston Churchill and Millennium Fellowship Awards.

Gary Kass is an adviser at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST). Following the House of Lords Science and Society report in 2000, POST was given a remit to maintain a watching brief on developments in the area of public dialogue on science and technology. Gary leads POST's work in this area. He also works on environmental and energy-related topics. Gary also served on the steering board for the GM Nation? public debate.
Prior to joining POST 8 years ago, Gary spent 9 years as an environmental consultant.

Brenda Keogh is a Principal Lecturer in Primary Science Education at the Institute of Education, Manchester Metropolitan University. She has been involved in public understanding of science from the beginning of her teaching career, running science clubs for children and their parents, directing Streamwatch UK - a major environmental project, running family learning projects and developing innovative ways of encouraging public involvement in science related to everyday life. Most recently she has been involved in Women in Physics initiatives, directed Science on the Underground projects in London, Russia and Sweden and has been a consultant to a project in New Zealand that communicates science through “Science Boards” in cereal packets.

Yadvinder Malhi is a Royal Society Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh.

Dr Ray Mathias is Head of Science Communication and Education at the John Innes Centre in Norwich where he is responsible for external liaison, media and public understanding of science issues. He is a research scientist by training and has worked on the application of biotechnology in cereal, brassica and oilseed crops. Active in communicating science to a range of different audiences, he encourages and trains other scientists to communicate with the public.

Steve Mesure is a freelance science communication and education consultant, writer and project manager. He works with schools, LEAs, HEIs, EPSRC, NESTA and various arts organisations.

Melanie Quin is Executive Director of ECSITE-UK, the National Science and Discovery Centre Network. She has been a science communicator since supplying pollen counts and sound-bites to Thames Television during her PhD research. She has worked in publishing, as chief executive of the pan-European ECSITE network, and most recently as Science Communication Director at Techniquest in Cardiff Bay.

The Copus Grant Schemes are funded by the Office of Science and Technology and The Royal Society.

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