1️- Governance Overview
The UK Association for Biotechnology & Computational Science (UKABCS) operates under a transparent multi-level governance structure designed in accordance with UKRI’s “Principles of Assessment and Decision-Making” (2021).
The framework ensures clarity in authority, separation of roles, and documented accountability at every stage.
2️- Levels of Governance
- Board of Trustees:
The highest governing body. Defines strategy, approves policies, and monitors compliance with UK company law, Charity Commission regulations, and UKRI integrity principles.
The Board meets quarterly and has the ultimate authority for all final approvals. - Managing Director (Mr. Khizar Hayat):
Acts as the administrative and legal executive in the United Kingdom.
Ensures proper documentation, reporting, and operational compliance.
Verifies committee recommendations before submission to the Board for final approval. - Specialised Committees:
Operate semi-independently to review, assess, and recommend actions in specific areas:- Audit & Finance Committee: Oversees financial governance and external auditing.
- Grants Review Committee: Conducts peer-review of grant applications and funding proposals.
- Ethics & EDI Committee: Ensures ethical compliance and equitable participation.
- Advisory Committee: Provides scientific and strategic guidance.
- Partnership Committee: Evaluates and manages collaborations and MoUs.
3️- Decision-Making Process
- Initiation:
Proposals, policies, or reports originate from operational teams or external submissions (e.g., grant applications). - Committee Review:
Each proposal is reviewed by the relevant committee using peer-review principles aligned with UKRI standards. - Compliance Check:
The Managing Director verifies legal, ethical, and procedural compliance before forwarding recommendations. - Board Approval:
The Board of Trustees discusses, votes, and formally approves (by majority). - Implementation:
Approved decisions are executed by operational teams under committee supervision. - Monitoring:
Progress reports are reviewed quarterly and summarized annually in the public governance report.
4️- Transparency and Records
- All meetings (Board + Committees) are documented in signed minutes.
- All funding and partnership decisions include an audit trail of evaluations and votes.
- Decisions are published in the UKABCS Annual Governance & Impact Report.
- The Conflict of Interest Register and Due Diligence Logs are updated annually.
5️- UKRI Compliance Summary
- Transparent decision-making
- Independent committee reviews
- Documented conflict of interest procedures
- Annual reporting and public disclosure
- Peer-reviewed funding assessments
- Legal and ethical oversight through Managing Director
This structure fully aligns with UKRI’s standards of fairness, transparency, evidence-based evaluation, and accountability.