Michael Rayner, FRSA

Michael is the Dean of Research at UHI.  His role provides broad-based guidance, support and leadership for the development and extension of research excellence and culture. In addition, Michael is responsible for the Graduate School and the associated infrastructure to support the university’s research students and their supervisory teams.  This role also extends to the provision of support for development of early career researchers.

He has held a number of roles in higher education, most recently at the University of Strathclyde where he was Head of the University Management Committee office for a number of years, and also led the university’s engagement with the 2001 and 2008 Research Assessment Exercises (precursor to the REF).  From 2008 to 2009 he was seconded as Assistant Director of Research Policy and Strategy at the Scottish Funding Council, with a particular focus on the council’s flagship ‘research pooling’ initiative.  He has also worked at the University of Edinburgh.  Before entering higher education, Michael spent time as a marketing manager in the steel industry, a civil servant, and as a church minister in the USA.

He holds degrees from the University of St Andrews and Princeton Theological Seminary.