As Divisional Director of Research, Astrid's responsibilities include our University Research and Impact Strategy and associated strategic initiatives, as well as policy areas such as research culture and integrity, research infrastructure and capital. She leads the Research Division comprising of four service groups: Doctoral College (supporting our post-graduate and early career research community); Research Services (support for bidding and delivering research projects; REF and any successors; and our Faculty and Institute research activities); our university-wide academic Research Software and Analytics group; and Technical Strategy and Operations (supporting our research and education infrastructure through labs and specialist research facilities).

Astrid previously held a variety of posts, all with an underlying commitment to making knowledge and research accessible and usable, as widely as possible. She is a champion of  better research cultures and supporting our early career researchers.

Astrid is currently a member of the UKRI Infrastructure Advisory Group and non-executive Director of the Exeter Science Park Board. She was a trustee for 9 years (some of which as chair) of the Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC)/Vitae, the UK's leading expert in the field of career development for postgraduate researchers; and is a past trustee of MentorUK - a UK-wide charity committed to promoting evidence-based prevention to protect children and young people from alcohol and drugs misuse. She was, until 2016, a member of the UUK Open Access Group.

Before joining Exeter, she was Director Research, Scholarship and Quality at the Open University (OU) with responsibility for the strategic development of research, enterprise and scholarship; and the quality assurance and enhancement of the University's taught programmes. Astrid joined the OU from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), where she was Deputy Chief Executive and Director for Partnerships and Communications. Astrid also led for Research Councils UK on its economic and societal impact strategy, and on open access to research information.

Prior to her appointment at ESRC, Astrid worked at King's College London where she held posts as Assistant Director Information Resources, managed a JISC research project on models for hybrid libraries, and was part of the Arts and Humanities Data Service. Her early career included appointments at Glasgow University and Leiden University (The Netherlands) in the fields of computer-based learning and applied information management for historical research.

Astrid holds the following qualifications:

Master of Science (Distinction) in Systems Thinking in Practice, Open University. Dissertation:  Lost in Translation. Incentivising research and innovation in UK Higher Education – a systems analysis. (2019)

Master of Public Administration, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick. Dissertation: Sharing social science knowledge with policy makers. (2008)

Post-graduate Programme Certificate in Applied Information Technology from the ESF/DABURH programme at the University of Leiden. (1991)

Doctoral study (comparable to MA/MPhil) in History, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Major subject: Contemporary History. Specialisation: International Affairs. Thesis: Rescue or Rupture? The Commonwealth on the British entry into the EEC, 1955-1971. (title translated) (1990)