Professor David Vaughan was Emeritus Fellow and the former director of science at British Antarctic Survey with responsibility for the strategic development and excellence in scientific output of the Science teams employed by BAS. In 2017 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to science.

Vaughan took the role as lead UK principal investigator for the Science Coordination Office (SCO) at the start of the ITGC program. He and his team integrate ITGC efforts for efficiency and effectiveness, foster wider scientific collaboration, and deliver crucial science outcomes to key stakeholders. After his retirement from BAS in 2021, as of spring 2022, Vaughan became Emeritus Principal Investigator for the program.