We caught up with Professor Tom Solomon CBE FMedSci, who is coming towards the end of his tenure as Vice President (International), and asked for his reflections on the position.
What does the role entail?
When I became Vice President (International), I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. What I’ve found over the past few years is a genuinely rewarding role that’s taught me a huge amount – about policy, diplomacy, and how national academies can quietly but powerfully shape global science and health.
The Academy’s vision is ‘good health for all supported by the best research and evidence’, and our international work is integral to that as we help create an open and progressive research sector to improve the health of people everywhere.
Broadly, the Academy operates as a convenor and catalyst through three main areas:
- influencing policy and practice
- supporting researchers with career development and
- funding and strengthening collaborations across the range of biomedical and health sciences.
Our international work maps onto these same pillars, but is divided into working with European partners, with high-income science-power countries like the US and Japan, and with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Each requires a different approach – and each has offered different opportunities and challenges.
Championing science diplomacy in Europe
One of the highlights of my tenure was supporting the UK’s re-entry into Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research programme. This was a critical issue for the UK research community, and I worked closely with our brilliant Academy staff team to build bridges with European academies and policymakers. We spent a lot of time in Brussels, aligning our efforts and pushing, alongside others, for a resolution that would allow UK scientists back into the programme.
When the UK rejoined Horizon in January 2023, it felt like a real win for science diplomacy – a reminder that collaborative, well-informed advocacy can help shift political gears. Since then, we’ve turned our focus to engagement: encouraging more UK researchers – especially early career researchers who may not be familiar with Horizon – to get involved.
Read our Six top tips for succeeding with Horizon Europe funding applications
Working with science powers on shared challenges
With high-income countries, our goal has often been to collaborate on big, shared challenges. A great example is our work with the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in the US on climate change and health, an area where AMS is seen as leading globally following our 2021 joint report with the Royal Society. Together we launched a new joint policy initiative, co-led by emerging research leaders from both sides of the Atlantic. Watching that initiative take shape – and seeing younger voices take the lead – has been one of the most inspiring parts of the role. We look forward to publishing the findings from this project which focuses on how health research can be environmentally sustainable, in the coming months,
Supporting capacity building in LMICs
In LMICs, as well as shared policy work, e.g. on one health, our focus has been on capacity strengthening and career pathways. We’ve worked closely with partners in Africa to explore what’s needed to support strong, sustainable research careers – including the possibility of an international equivalent to the UK’s FLIER programme, which has been very successful at developing future research leaders here.
Read Gita's story: how our FLIER programme transforms careers
The work is long-term and systemic, but hugely important. With members of our international staff, I’ve visited multiple academies in partner countries, especially in my first year. Those in person meetings were invaluable for understanding what policy work and career support look like on the ground; and having developed the personal connections, our subsequent on-line meetings have been all the more productive.
So what does the job actually involve?
On paper, the role averages around a day a week – but like most academic leadership roles, it can expand and contract depending on what’s happening. Some weeks it might be just a few emails and one meeting, but at other times, especially when doing overseas work, the whole week is taken up. I front-loaded my time at the start of my tenure, taking more trips and trying to understand the full scope of the role. Over time, I’ve been able to work more efficiently – bunching meetings together during London trips or joining remotely where possible – and delegate more to other Fellows and Council members.
As an Honorary Officer, you’re also a Trustee and a member of Council, so you’re involved in all the big strategic decisions about the Academy’s direction. It’s a proper governance role – and it comes with all those responsibilities.
What makes it rewarding?
The international staff team at the Academy is fantastic –they’re professional, well-briefed, and just really good at what they do, that makes it relatively easy to switch between my ‘day job’ as director of The Pandemic Institute in Liverpool, and Academy work. I don’t need days of prep, because the groundwork is already done.
I’ve also learned a huge amount – especially about international science diplomacy, and how academies fit into the UK and global science infrastructure. The Academy’s reach is far greater than people often realise through our Fellowship of the most influential scientists in the UK and worldwide, and our vibrant growing network of European and global partnerships. We are uniquely positioned to bring together academia, healthcare providers, industry, charities, and governments to address the most pressing health challenges facing humanity.
And the challenges?
One of the trickiest aspects, as my predecessor Professor Dame Anne Johnson DBE FMedSci, highlighted to me, is adjusting to a non-executive role. As academics, we’re used to leading projects. But as Honorary Officers, we’re here to advise and support, not to make operational decisions – and getting the balance right can be delicate. It’s not quite ‘Yes Minister’ but occasionally it may feel a bit like that. We’re not in charge, but we are accountable to the Fellowship, who expect us to lead the organisation.
As an international team, we also have to grapple with the inevitable climate impact of global work. We travel by train to Europe wherever possible, and when we do fly, we make sure the trip covers multiple areas of work – for example, combining policy meetings with research development visits – to maximise the opportunities of being there in person and minimise our negative impact on the environment.
What are you most proud of?
Three things stand out. First, our role in supporting the UK’s return to the Horizon Europe programme – a genuinely important outcome for UK science. Second, working with our American partner academy to take action on climate and health, particularly given the need for trusted voices and rational evidence in a complex world of misinformation. Thirdly making significant progress in strengthening research capacity in lower-and-middle income countries, especially in Africa.
The annual international health lecture, run jointly with The Lancet, is also a real joy and one of the Academy’s most popular events every year.
Alongside the international work, I’ve been pleased to help champion and encourage more inclusive engagement with our Fellows across the four nations of UK and regionally by sharing Academy opportunities widely. For some time now the Academy’s definition of diversity has considered geography, research subject and sector, clinical and non-clinical specialties, career stage, and socio-economic background alongside protected characteristics. This is really important for the Academy to be fully representative of the health and life sciences sector across the UK.
The next VP international?
I’m really delighted that Professor Shakila Thangaratinam FMedSci has been appointed as my successor. With her strong international research profile, and genuine belief in the mission of the Academy, I know she will make a great success of it, and I will be cheering her on from the sides! This is a unique and fulfilling role, and a brilliant way to give back to the UK biomedical and health research community while helping shape its global voice.
Read more about Professor Thangaratinam
Top image description: Tom Solomon CBE FMedSci giving a keynote on the importance of UK engagement with Horizon Europe during a Science Summit at the UK Mission to the European Union, Brussels March 2024.