David Clark is the Foundation’s part-time Executive Secretary. He had previously been Director of Research and Innovation at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

David Clark comes from New Zealand (and therefore has a passion for rugby). He completed his BSc and PhD at Victoria University of Wellington.

He started his career as a telecommunications engineer with the New Zealand Post Office during the early days of satellite communications. He moved to the UK in 1974 to join the Mullard Space Science Laboratory. He joined the then Science and Engineering Research Council in 1977, first at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, and then as Head of Space Astronomy at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. In 1985 he was transferred to the Head Office of SERC in Swindon, and became Deputy Director Programmes. With the formation of EPSRC in 1994 he was appointed Director Planning and Communications, and subsequently Director Research and Innovation.

He has authored ten books, and has published 80 papers in scientific journals. He is married with three adult sons (and three grandsons)