Sir Gareth Roberts, president of Wolfson College, Oxford, and former vice-chancellor of Sheffield University, died on Tuesday aged 66.
Sir Gareth, who had held numerous positions including president of the Science Council, chair of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals and chair of the Higher Education Funding Council for England's research committee, was knighted for his services to higher education in 1997.
In 2002 he headed the Government's review of the supply of scientists and engineers, and in 2004 he completed a review of the research assessment exercise for the UK funding councils.