Rachel Tyrrell is Associate Director of Knowledge Exchange (KE) at Research England and Programme Director for the UKRI Strength in Places Fund. She is responsible for overseeing the KE policy team, working with the Director of KE. The team supports the higher education sector to enhance its work with businesses, public sector and local communities for the benefit of the economy and society. The work of the team includes the development of the KE Framework (KEF) and the allocation of formula funding, Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF).

She is also responsible for leading a cross-UKRI team in the development and delivery of the Strength in Place Fund (SIPF), one of the first new cross-UKRI schemes. SIPF is distinctive, in that it takes a place-based approach to research and innovation funding, driven by business need that can be met by research strengths.