!!Richard Bardgett - Biography \\ Richard was brought up in Cumbria, northern England, and graduated from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1987 with a degree in Soil and Land Resource Science. He completed his PhD in 1991 at Lancaster University. He moved to Manchester in 2013, having previously worked for the Nature Conservancy Council, the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, and the Universities of Manchester and Lancaster. He returned to Lancaster in 2025 to establish a new Centre for Sustainable Soils. \\ \\ He was elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 2006 and a Member Academia Europaea in 2015 for his pioneering contributions to soil ecology. He is routinely recognised by Clarivate as one of the most highly cited ecologists in the world and served as President of the British Ecological Society (2017-2019). He is currently Exective Editor of Journal fo Ecology and in 2023 was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by King Charles III for services to soil ecology and climate change science. \\ \\ Richard has a strong commitment to increasing awareness of the need to protect soils and their biodiversity. He currently serves on Defra’s Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) and in 2019 was appointed “''Thinker in Residence''” for the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium to advise policy decisions on “''Soils as Natural Capital''”, including recommendations on soil protection to comply with policy on climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation. He was a co-founder, and current co-Director, of the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative (GSBI), established in 2011 to promote translation of soil biodiversity knowledge into policy. %%(display:none;) __Education__ \\ *1987-1991 PhD Soil Ecology, Lancaster University/CEH Merlewood\\ *1984-1987 BSc (Hons) Soil and Land Resource Science, Newcastle University \\ __External responsibilities__ \\ *2015 Royal Society Biological Grants Panel \\ *2014 BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership Sub-Committee Chair \\ *2013-present Chair BBSRC Committee E, responsible for award and mentoring BBSRC Fellowships\\ *2013-present Member BBSRC Research Advisory Panel\\ *2013-present NERC Centre for Ecology Hydrology, Science Development Group Member\\ *2012-2013 NERC Lead for Soil Security Programme \\ *2011-2014 Vice President British Ecological Society\\ *2012-2103 Shadow Chair (2012)/Chair (2013) BBSRC Training and Awards Committee\\ *2010-2013 Chair, BBSRC Committee B\\ *2010-present Member BBSRC Strategic Lola Committee\\ *2010-2015 Member BBSRC Appointments Board\\ *2009-present Director, Rothamsted Research Board of Directors\\ *2009-present Scientific Advisory Board Netherland Institute for Ecology\\ *2009-2010 Coordinating Lead Author, UK National Ecosystem Assessment\\ *2008-2009 Chair BBSRC Agri-Food Committee\\ *2007-2010 Advisory Board, NERC Centre Population Biology, Imperial College\\ *2006-2008 Member and Deputy Chair BBSRC Agri-Food Committee\\ *2005-2012 Steering Committee, Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment, DIVERSITAS \\ __Editorial roles__ \\ *2006-present Editor Journal of Ecology\\ *2006-present Editorial Board Ecology Letters\\ *2006-present Editorial Board Ecosystems\\ *2005 Guest Editor Trends in Ecology and Evolution\\ *2003-2006 Associate Editor Journal of Ecology\\ *2003-2006 Editorial Advisory Board Applied Soil Ecology\\ *2001-2004 Subject Editor Biology and Fertility of Soils\\ *1999-2008 Subject Editor Soil Biology and Biochemistry\\ \\ __Awards__ \\ *2015 Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Hasselt, Belgium\\ *2015 Distinguished Scientist Lecture, University of Berkeley, USA.\\ *2014 Highly Cited Researcher 2014 \\ *2011 Visiting Distinguished Ecologist, Colorado State University, USA.\\ *2011 Visiting Professor École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)\\ *2011 Fellow of the Society of Biology (FSB)\\ *2009 ISI Highly Cited Researcher Environment/Ecology\\ *2006 Honorary Fellow Royal Society of New Zealand (FRSNZ)\\ *2006 Marsh Ecology Book of the Year Award, British Ecological Society %%