# Alice Bunn

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**Dr Alice Bunn** (FIMechE FRAeS CEng) is the former chief executive of the [Institution of Mechanical Engineers](/source/Institution_of_Mechanical_Engineers) (IMechE) and previously the international director of the [UK Space Agency](/source/UK_Space_Agency).

## Early life and education

Bunn is from [Beckenham](/source/Beckenham).[1] She attended [Shrewsbury High School, Shropshire](/source/Shrewsbury_High_School,_Shropshire).[2] She completed [GCE Advanced Levels](/source/GCE_Advanced_Level) at [Shrewsbury Sixth Form College](/source/Shrewsbury_Sixth_Form_College) in Maths, Physics and Chemistry[2] and studied [metallurgy](/source/Metallurgy) at the [University of Leeds](/source/University_of_Leeds), graduating in 1995.[3] She spent a year in [Tampere](/source/Tampere) at the [University of Finland](/source/University_of_Finland).[2] She obtained her PhD in 1998 from the [University of Cambridge](/source/University_of_Cambridge), where she worked in [Metallurgy](/source/Metallurgy) under the supervision of Lindsay Greer.[4]

## Career

After completing her PhD, Bunn joined the [Science Museum, London](/source/Science_Museum,_London) as a researcher and developer of exhibitions.[5] She joined the [Natural Environment Research Council](/source/Natural_Environment_Research_Council) (NERC) as coordinator of Earth Observation Science in 2000.[5] She was made head of Earth Observation Future Missions in 2002.[5] She joined [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs](/source/Department_for_Environment,_Food_and_Rural_Affairs) as location programme manager.

Bunn joined the [UK Space Agency](/source/UK_Space_Agency) in 2011.[6] She led the *International Charter for Space and Major Disasters* from 2011 to 2012.[7] The charter forces the international community to provide satellite imagery immediately after a disaster.[7] She brokered the international agreement that ensured countries share satellite imagery after the [MH370](/source/MH370) disappearance.[8] She explored how satellite imagery can be used to save lives.[9] She formed a collaboration with the [Italian Space Agency](/source/Italian_Space_Agency) to share [COSMO-SkyMed](/source/COSMO-SkyMed) data.[10] In 2014 Bunn was appointed director of policy of the UK Space Agency.[5][11] She led the [security](/source/Security), regulation, communications and international engagement.[12] In 2014 she was included in *[Marie Claire](/source/Marie_Claire)* as one of their *Top Women*.[8][13] She was elected to the [Space Foundation](/source/Space_Foundation) board of directors in 2015.[14] She led the space aspects of the [Global Monitoring for Environment and Security](/source/Global_Monitoring_for_Environment_and_Security) programme.[7] She was appointed vice chair of the [European Space Agency](/source/European_Space_Agency) in 2017.[15] She signed a joint statement to increase cooperation with [CNES](/source/CNES) in January 2018.[16][17] The collaboration will continue in spite of [Brexit](/source/Brexit).[11][18] She oversaw the collaborative agreement between [Surrey Satellite Technology](/source/Surrey_Satellite_Technology), [Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station](/source/Goonhilly_Satellite_Earth_Station) and the [European Space Agency](/source/European_Space_Agency) for commercial lunar missions.[19][20]

### Lectures

Bunn has spoken at the [World Economic Forum](/source/World_Economic_Forum)[21] and also delivered the Reinventing Space Conference keynote lecture in 2014.[22] She spoke at the [National Space Symposium](/source/National_Space_Symposium) in 2018.[23] She spoke at the 2017 Global Space Congress[24] and [TEDx](/source/TED_(conference)) London in 2018.[25]

### Work in education

Bunn has been part of programmes that encourage students to engage with space missions.[26] She also collaborated with the [WISE Campaign](/source/WISE_Campaign) to create a set of classroom resources based on the space sector to encourage primary school children to study physics.[27][28] Bunn has advised on civil space activities to the [Minister for Universities, Science and Cities](/source/Minister_for_Universities,_Science_and_Cities).[29]

## Honours and awards

In 1998 she won [The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society](/source/The_Minerals,_Metals_%26_Materials_Society) Light Metals Division Light Metals Award for her paper *Modelling of the Effectiveness of Al-Ti-B Refiners in Commercial Purity Aluminium*.[3][30] She received [The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society](/source/The_Minerals,_Metals_%26_Materials_Society) Smithells Memorial Prize.[3][when?]

Bunn was appointed [Officer of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Officer_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (OBE) in the [2022 Birthday Honours](/source/2022_Birthday_Honours) for services to the UK space sector and charity.[31]

In 2025 Bunn was an awardee for the Suffrage Science in Engineering and Physical Sciences.[32]

## References

1. Kersey, Molly. ["Beckenham woman awarded for work which could 'save millions of lives'"](http://www.bromleytimes.co.uk/news/beckenham-woman-awarded-for-work-which-could-save-millions-of-lives-1-3793773). *bromleytimes.co.uk*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["she-works | Dr Alice Bunn"](https://web.archive.org/web/20181201051444/https://www.she-works.co.uk/dr-alice-bunn). *She Works | Careers Site for Women*. Archived from [the original](https://www.she-works.co.uk/dr-alice-bunn) on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["Recipients: The 1999 LMD Light Metals Award"](https://www.tms.org/Society/Honors/1999/LightMetals99.html). *tms.org*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. Bunn, Alice M. (1998). [*Grain refinement in aluminium alloys*](https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/284033) (PhD). University of Cambridge. [doi:10.17863/CAM.31399](https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.31399). [OCLC 556593640](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/556593640). Retrieved 2026-04-12.

1. ["Dr Alice Bunn appointed UK Space Agency's Director of Policy"](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dr-alice-bunn-appointed-uk-space-agencys-director-of-policy). *GOV.UK*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["Dr Alice Bunn - GOV.UK"](https://www.gov.uk/government/people/alice-bunn). *gov.uk*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["Interview: Alice Bunn | SpaceCareers.uk"](https://spacecareers.uk/?p=alice_bunn). *SpaceCareers.uk*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["Dr Alice Bunn - Civil Service"](https://civilservice.blog.gov.uk/author/dr-alice-bunn/). *civilservice.blog.gov.uk*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["Saving lives from space"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19826963). *bbc.co.uk*. [BBC News](/source/BBC_News). 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["Bilateral CSM Meeting - Catapult"](https://web.archive.org/web/20181201051401/https://sa.catapult.org.uk/news-events-gallery/events/bilateral-csm-meeting/). *Catapult*. Archived from [the original](https://sa.catapult.org.uk/news-events-gallery/events/bilateral-csm-meeting/) on 2018-12-01. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. Cookson, Clive (14 December 2015). ["Peake provides lift-off for renewed British space policy"](https://www.ft.com/content/ffc57092-a253-11e5-8d70-42b68cfae6e4). *[Financial Times](/source/Financial_Times)*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["UK Space Agency Annual Report and Accounts"](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441292/Annual_report_final_web.pdf). *UK Space Agency Gov*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["Marie Claire Celebrates Our First Women At The Top Awards"](https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/marie-claire-celebrates-our-first-women-at-the-top-awards-46084). *Marie Claire*. 2014-10-02. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["Space Agency Spotlight: UK Space Agency"](https://www.spacefoundation.org/news/space-agency-spotlight-uk-space-agency). *Space Foundation*. 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["Jean-Yves Le Gall, new chair of the European Space Agency (ESA) Council"](https://uk.ambafrance.org/Jean-Yves-Le-Gall-new-chair-of-the-European-Space-Agency-ESA-Council-26639). *France in the United Kingdom - La France au Royaume-Uni*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["UK-France Space Cooperation"](https://web.archive.org/web/20181201051604/https://www.bis-space.com/2018/01/20/20148/uk-france-space-co-operation). *bis-space.com*. Archived from [the original](https://www.bis-space.com/2018/01/20/20148/uk-france-space-co-operation) on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["Anglo, French space agencies sitting in a tree, K I S S I N G"](https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/01/19/uksa_and_cnes_agree_to_join_and_together_rule_the_galaxy/). Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["British and French space agencies sign a cooperation agreement at the Sandhurst Summit"](https://www.geospatialworld.net/news/uk-france-space-agencies-ink-cooperation-agreement-sandhurst-summit/). *Geospatial World*. 2018-01-22. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["SSTL and Goonhilly Earth Station Sign Collaboration Agreement with ESA for Commercial Lunar Missions - Invest in Cornwall"](https://investincornwall.com/2018/04/24/sstl-and-goonhilly-earth-station-sign-collaboration-agreement-with-esa-for-commercial-lunar-missions/). *investincornwall.com*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. esa. ["ESA signs collaboration agreement for commercial Lunar missions"](https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/ESA_signs_collaboration_agreement_for_commercial_Lunar_missions). *European Space Agency*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["Alice Bunn"](https://www.weforum.org/people/alice-bunn). *World Economic Forum*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["Previous keynotes – 16th Reinventing Space Conference"](http://rispace.org/conference/previous-keynotes/). *rispace.org*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["National Space Symposium"](https://10times.com/national-space-symposium/speakers). *10times.com*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. Global Aerospace Summit (2017-02-12), ["Global Space Congress: An Interview with Dr. Alice Bunn"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtnNQ9H-J3o), retrieved 2018-11-30

1. ["TEDxLondonWomen | TED"](https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/30617). *ted.com*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. Kuttab, Jasmine Al. ["Emirati girl's finding to be sent to space"](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/education/emirati-girls-finding-to-be-sent-to-space). *Khaleej Times*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["People Like Me: A Resource Pack For Schools"](https://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/plm-space-pack-combined-v.1.pdf). *WISE Campaign*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["ADS Advance - UK Space Agency backs campaign to inspire girls"](https://www.adsadvance.co.uk/uk-space-agency-backs-campaign-to-inspire-girls.html). *adsadvance.co.uk*. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. ["There are thousands of jobs behind every mission so we need to keep showing girls that it is possible to have a career in space - Dr. Alice Bunn, Policy Director at the UK Space Agency - Womanthology"](http://www.womanthology.co.uk/thousands-jobs-behind-every-mission-need-keep-showing-girls-possible-career-space-dr-alice-bunn-policy-director-uk-space-agency/). *Womanthology*. 2017-04-19. Retrieved 2018-11-30.

1. Bunn, A.M.; Evans, P. V.; Bristow, D. J.; Greer, A.L. (2013), "Modelling of the Effectiveness of Al-Ti-B Refiners in Commercial Purity Aluminium", *Essential Readings in Light Metals*, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 387–392, [doi:10.1002/9781118647783.ch47](https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118647783.ch47). ISBN 9781118647783

1. No. 63714. 1 June 2022. p. B11.

1. ["Announcing the 2025 Suffrage Science Awardees in Engineering and Physical Sciences"](https://www.bioch.ox.ac.uk/article/announcing-the-2025-suffrage-science-awardees-in-engineering-and-physical-sciences). *www.bioch.ox.ac.uk*. Retrieved 2025-06-06.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alice Bunn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Bunn) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Bunn?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.