Professor Nicholas Deakin, a respected figure in the charity sector, has been chosen as the chair designate of the new Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy.

Prof Deakin, best known for his 1996 inquiry into the future of the voluntary sector in England, will chair the governance committee of the new Centre, which will be run out of a central organisational ‘hub’ with three research ‘spokes’ focusing on individual and business giving; charitable giving and social redistribution; and institutionalised giving structures.

Over the next five years it will receive £2.2m from the Economic Social Research Council (ESRC), the Office of the Third Sector, the Carnegie UK Trust and the Scottish Executive.

A commissioning panel will consider eight short listed proposals up for consideration, including two for the running of the Centre itself. The Universities of Kent, Southampton and Cass Business School are understood to be among those short listed. The director of the Centre will come from the organisation or partnership that wins the bid to run the main hub.