The Academy's mission is to promote social sciences in the United Kingdom for the public benefit. The Council is the presiding body of the Academy with its Members being elected by the College of Academicians and the College of Learned Societies.

Jane said: "I am very pleased to have been elected to and to have a chance to get involved in important social sciences issues through this influential national body.

"I am particularly interested in contributing to Academy policy in respect of research impact and in developing cross-disciplinary links between social sciences and science and engineering."

The Academy’s Executive Director Stephen Anderson welcomed the appointment, commenting: "Jane is widely known and respected within the social science community.

"That she was able to be successful in a strongly contested election is testimony to the esteem in which she is held by her peer group."

As well as this recent accolade, Jane has been a Special Adviser to House of Commons Select Committees, to the Department for Work & Pensions and the No. 10 Policy Unit. She was elected to Academy of Social Sciences in 2000, and awarded an OBE in June 2001 for 'services to social policy research and teaching'.

Her research interests include family policy, income maintenance policy, gender and poverty, and comparative social policy.

Jane has been Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at Bath since 2008.