David Sainsbury is well known for being a generous friend to science in the United Kingdom. David first became interested in the sciences through his studies of the brain and cognitive science at the University of Cambridge. Since becoming a prominent businessman and politician, he has striven to offer his considered and staunch support to scientific causes.

Through his charitable trust, the Gatsby Foundation, David has established and maintains laboratories conducting research in the areas of neuroscience and plant science. In his capacity as UK Minister for Science and Innovation, a position he held for eight years from 1998, he championed research and enterprise with full backing from the scientific community.

David was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1994 and of the Royal Society in 2008. He became a life peer in 1997, and in 2011 he succeeded the Duke of Edinburgh as Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.