Dr Sarah Donovan has worked at the University of Exeter since 2008. Since 2019 she has been Research Development Manager facing Biosciences. In this role she supports the full research project lifecycle, from inception to impact. She provides strategic, policy and planning support to the department, to build and sustain an excellent research environment for the acadmics, and works with Exeter Innovation and the Doctoral College to deliver a shared support service, covering e.g. information, systems training and operations. 

Prior to this, she was seconded for 18 months to the Research & Impact (Policy & Planning) team, as Research & Impact Strategy Manager (Policy & Planning), supporting inputs to the University's Research Planning Process, acting as secretary to the Research and Innovation Executive Group, oversaw governance and risk management, and developed research and impact policies. 

Before this, she provided Research Development in the Medical School (then The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry), for the then Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences.