The Royal Institution, one of Britain’s most revered scientific organisations, is facing fresh troubles following the resignation of its director and three senior managers.
Professor Sarah Harper, a highly-respected gerontologist at Oxford University, took over as director at the institution in May, but has resigned after less than four months in the post. Three other senior staff, in HR, fundraising, and operations, have also stepped down.
Harper’s appointment had signified a fresh start for the Royal Institution which needs to carve out a meaningful role for itself as it emerges from a financial crisis that nearly forced it from its Grade-I listed home in Mayfair. A lavish refurbishment of the premises which coincided with the 2008 financial crash left the organisation with massive debts it could not pay. The RI trustees held the then director, Baroness Greenfield, responsible and in 2010 made her redundant.
Harper, who has served on the prime minister’s Council for Science and Technology, replaced Greenfield as only the second woman to hold the director’s office. When appointed, she was praised by Sir Richard Sykes, the chair of the RI, as “the right person” to deliver the organisation’s “exciting new vision and strategy.”
In a brief statement confirming Harper’s departure, Sykes said only that he looked forward to confirming the appointment of a new director in due course. The institution’s finance director, Michael de Crespigny, will take over the day-to-day management of the RI until a replacement for Harper is found.
Both Harper and the RI declined to comment on the reasons for the spate of resignations, but the Guardian understands that Harper had clashed with trustees over the balance of promoting public engagement in science and turning a profit. The RI would not confirm whether the other resignations were related to Harper leaving.
The RI’s most recent accounts suggest its finances are back on a solid footing, but making money remains crucial to its survival. The organisation only managed to overcome its financial troubles with some drastic interventions, including help from an anonymous foundation in 2013 that paid off a £4m loan, and the sale of 90 scientific treasures at Christie’s in 2015. Among the works that went under the hammer were first editions from Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and Alexander von Humboldt.
Established in 1799, the Royal Institution is one of the world’s oldest scientific organisations. For most of its history it has doubled as a centre for scientific research and public education. Ten chemical elements were discovered under its roof and Michael Faraday conducted his seminal work on electricity in the lab. He went on to set up the Christmas lectures that are broadcast to millions to this day.
At the height of the RI’s financial troubles, Sir Paul Nurse, then president of the Royal Society, offered to incorporate the organisation and hand it responsibility for public engagement. The RI turned down the deal in part out of concern for its Royal Charter.
“I thought Sarah Harper was a great appointment and I’m disappointed to hear that she’s going,” said Nurse, who is now director of the Crick Institute in London. “I personally think the RI has an important role to play in public science engagement,” he added.
In an interview with the Guardian in May, Harper described how she wanted the RI to become a place where people could learn about the scientific debates of the day backed up by “gold standard” scientific evidence. Harper said she had begun talks with the trustees and management team on her vision for the institution but that she wanted time to get to know the organisation too.
