RDS welcomes new Board member

Sapna Marwaha is the founder of Formation Consultancy, which provides specialist support in inclusive governance, research security, and research culture. With over a decade of experience as an in-house lawyer in research and innovation organisations, she brings together specialist expertise with a record of leadership and transformation.

She is the lead author of the Complex Collaborations report, published in March 2023, which explored the UK sector response to the challenges of research security. Sapna is currently working with Durham University on the Wellcome funded Reimagining Governance project, where she is exploring how shadow committees can drive better and more inclusive decision making on research.

Sapna also holds a portfolio of governance roles within the research and innovation sector, including as Development Board Member (Legal and Governance) for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in Science and Health and as Lay Member and Co-Chair of the R&D Steering Committee at NHS Blood and Transplant. She recently completed her terms as Deputy Chair of the Association of Research Managers and Administrators and a member of the UKRI Research Organisation Consultation Group.

On her appointment to the RDS Board, Sapna said: “Having worked across the public, private and impact sector and often at the intersection, I believe that organisations like RDS that connect us and provide the infrastructure to drive more effective and impactful collaboration are incredibly important. I am excited to be joining as a trustee at this critical time in its evolution.”

Roger Halliday, RDS CEO, added: “I am delighted to welcome Sapna to the RDS Board of Trustees. Sapna’s extensive experience across various aspects of the research and innovation landscape provides her with a unique understanding of current systems, and this expertise will be incredibly valuable in helping RDS achieve our mission of making it faster and simpler to conduct research in Scotland.”

Learn more about the RDS Board.