Overall direction of the Centre is the responsibility of Dr Geoff Kelly, the head of the Centre.

Instrument time is allocated to external users by an Advisory Committee appointed by the Molecular and Cellular Medicine Board of the MRC. The Advisory Committee also provides strategic guidance to the head of the Centre. Allocations of time are made for periods of one year, on the basis of progress reports and applications submitted by existing or prospective users. The current members of the committee are Dr Robert Deller (MRC Head Office), Professor A. Breeze, Professor M. Macias, Dr D. Nietlispach, Professor L.J. Smith, Dr P.T. Williamson, and Dr G. Kelly (ex-officio chairman). 

A Users Committee with representatives from every user group meets annually to discuss operational and technical matters.