Dr. Steven Griffiths is currently Professor at the Khalifa University of Science and Technology. He served as Senior Vice President for Research and Development (R&D) and Professor of Practice at Khalifa University between 2018 and 2024. Prior to his appointment as Senior Vice President for R&D, he led the integration of the research functions of the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Petroleum Institute and the Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research when these three Abu Dhabi-based research universities were merged in 2017 to form the new Khalifa University of Science and Technology. Following success in developing the research function for Khalifa University he was appointed to the Senior Vice President for R&D position. During his time as Senior Vice President for R&D, Dr. Griffiths led the development and implementation of the university’s research strategy, managed the university’s research institutes and centers and managed the departments accountable for research partnerships, research services, technology management and innovation, research computing and research laboratories. During his tenure as Senior Vice President for R&D, Khalifa University rose rapidly in international university rankings and was established as the top research university in the United Arab Emirates and one of the top 200 research universities globally. As Professor, Dr. Griffiths continues as one of the university’s most frequently cited faculty through his work on technology adoption within a socio-technical systems context.
Dr. Griffiths is currently a member of the Emirates Research and Development Council, a Zayed Sustainability Prize Selection Committee member, a member of the Dubai Future Council on Energy, advisor to the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, a member of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Expert Group Subcommittee of the UAE Council for AI & Blockchain, an elected member of the Global Energy Prize International Award Committee, a Governing Board member of the Graphene Engineering Innovation Center at the University of Manchester, a Board member of Human CorpMission established by the Rosatom Corporate Academy and the Higher School of Economics National Research University and a board member of Graphene Innovations Manchester. He advised the government of Alberta, Canada on provincial innovation system structuring throughout 2014 and continues to support the global advancement of research and innovation via evaluator and mentor roles in regional and international research and innovation competitions and programs.
Dr. Griffiths is Associate Editor and Editorial Board member of Elsevier’s international journal Energy Strategy Reviews and Editorial Board member of Elsevier’s international journal Smart Energy. He further is a non-resident Fellow of the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines, which is a leading Institute focused on energy, natural resource and environmental policy.
Prior to his position at Khalifa University, Dr. Griffiths was Vice President for Research and Associate Provost at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology. Dr. Griffiths transitioned to the Masdar Institute from his role as Executive Director of the Technology and Development Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which is a position he undertook while simultaneously serving as the Founding Executive Vice President and Chief Technologist of Light Pharma Incorporated.
Dr. Griffiths holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
