About us
We are a leading independent policy and research centre, and the foremost bioethics body in the UK. For over 30 years, we have identified and tackled some of the most complex and controversial issues facing societies across the globe.
Aims and values
Our mission is to embed ethics at the centre of decisions about biomedicine and health, so we all benefit. To achieve this, we work to inform policy and public debate through timely considerations – identifying, analysing and advising on ethical issues raised by developments in biomedicine and health.
Council members
Our Council members make up a deliberative body that brings rich and diverse expertise and intellectual credibility. The main role of the Council is to consider questions of strategic direction, topic identification, critically review ongoing work, and oversee the range and quality of outputs and activities. Members of our Council are selected for their individual qualities and expertise, not to represent a particular group or view.
The Executive
The Executive team members are skilled professionals spanning the fields of bioethics, policy, research, public affairs, horizon scanning and communication. The main role of the Executive team is to guide and support the work of the Council.
Our funding
We were established by the trustees of the Nuffield Foundation in 1991, and since 1994 it has been funded jointly by the Foundation, the Medical Research Council and Wellcome.
Governance
The Governing Board was established by our funders in 2017. It is responsible for reviewing and challenging our work, providing assurance that we're operating within our remit and is committing expenditure in line with the terms of the funding grant and the goals of the Strategic Plan.