University of Birmingham researcher Sarah Pike is among the first members of the new UK Young Academy, established by UK and Ireland National Academies.
The UK Young Academy is a network of early career researchers and professionals established to help tackle local and global issues and promote meaningful change.
Dr Pike is an Associate Professor in the University’s School of Chemistry and is also a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow. She works in the field of supramolecular chemistry and current work in her group focuses on developing new adaptive scaffolds for programmable sensing and drug-delivery purposes.
As part of the first cohort of 67 members, announced today (10 Jan), Dr Pike will have the opportunity to help shape the strategy and focus of this new organisation, based on areas that matter to them.
Along with their fellow members from across academia, charity organisations and the private sector, they will have the chance to inform local and global policy discussions, galvanising their skills, knowledge, and experience to find innovative solutions to the challenges facing societies now and in the future.
This is a fantastic achievement. Sarah is an inspirational young chemist and I am confident she will make important contributions to the academy in this role.
The UK Young Academy has been established as an interdisciplinary collaboration with prestigious national academies: the Academy of Medical Sciences, British Academy, Learned Society of Wales, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Irish Academy, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the Royal Society. It joins the global initiative of Young Academies, with the UK Young Academy becoming the 50th to join the Young Academy movement.
Professor Rachel O’Reilly, Head of the School of Chemistry, said: “I am delighted by the announcement of Dr Sarah Pike’s appointment to the UK Young Academy. This is a fantastic achievement. Sarah is an inspirational young chemist and I am confident she will make important contributions to the academy in this role.”
Professor Julia Black, President of the British Academy, said: “We are delighted to join the other Academies in launching this exciting initiative. Empowering talented and ambitious researchers in the humanities and social sciences has always been a major priority for the British Academy. The Young Academy will help harness the drive, energy and passion of the next generation, providing them with a platform to make a real difference not just in their academic fields but to the UK’s wider higher education and research sector. We wish the members of the Young Academy every success and look forward to seeing the fruits of their work.”
The successful applicants officially took up their posts on 1 January 2023, and membership runs for 5 years. It is expected that the next call for applications will open in 2023.
For media enquiries please contact Beck Lockwood, Press Office, University of Birmingham, tel: +44 (0)781 3343348.
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 6,500 international students from over 150 countries.
The UK Young Academy connects and develops talented individuals in the early years of their career from a wide range of sectors so they can collaborate to make a difference in the world.
It is part of a growing international initiative to give young, early-career innovators, professionals, academics and entrepreneurs a voice for the advancement of issues that are important to them. The UK Young Academy gives its members the chance to have their perspectives, knowledge and insights represented as part of the wider landscape of academic and professional bodies in the UK.
The UK Young Academy was initially established following an agreement by the seven UK Academies – the Academy of Medical Sciences, British Academy, Learned Society of Wales, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Irish Academy, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the Royal Society. Working closely with the Global Young Academy and the Young Academy of Scotland, it was set up under the auspices of the Royal Society in 2022.
The strategy and programme of work to be undertaken will be determined by the members of the UK Young Academy but it is hoped that there will be collaborations with other Young Academies across the world or alongside the established UK Academies.
Find the UK Young Academy on Twitter (@UKYoungAcademy) and Linked In
The UK Young Academy will be underpinned by a shared set of values including:
Initial funding to establish the UK Young Academy has been provided by the UK Government’s Department of Business, Education and Industrial Strategy as part of their R&D People and Culture Strategy.
UKRI Future Leaders Fellow
Staff profile for Dr Sarah Pike
