Dr. Godfrey is a distinguished research leader and was the Chair of IRRI’s Board of Trustees. He is a UK national and has been associated with several leading research institutions. Dr. Godfrey is the Director and Chair of the UK’s National Institute of Agricultural Botany.
Dr. Godfrey was the President of the Royal Agricultural Society of England during 2018-2019. He has been appointed to several Boards and has chaired many of them, including those of CGIAR centers. His association with CGIAR pans several years, as former Chair of CIP (2000-2008) and that of the Alliance of 15 CGIAR centers (2006-2007). He also chaired the CGIAR Board Orientation and Training Program and organized annual courses throughout the world to train over 400 trustees.
Dr. Godfrey was the Chair of Innovate UK Sustainable Agriculture and Food Innovation Platform, formerly the Technology Strategy Board, during 2010–2016. He was Governor of the Roslin Research Institute, a premier animal research institute at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, between 2006 and 2008. He was also the Governor and Chair of Scottish Crop Research Institute during 1991- 2003.
Dr Godfrey is a recipient of several prestigious honors and awards. He was named Fellow of Royal Agricultural Societies (FRAgS) in 2000, Fellow of the Institute of Directors (FIoD) in 2004, and was recognized with the National Agriculture Award in 2015 by the Royal Agricultural Society of England.
For his services to agricultural research in Scotland, Dr Godfrey was awarded the OBE in 2002.