[2] Since its foundation, SPRU has had notable scholars among its faculty, including Daniele Archibugi, Giovanni Dosi, Marie Jahoda, Carlota Perez, Keith Pavitt, Mary Kaldor, Richard R. Nelson, Giorgio Sirilli and Luc Soete.

Current faculty members include Benjamin Sovacool; Andy Stirling; Paul Nightingale, director of strategy and operations for the Economic & Social Research Council; Erik Millstone; and Ben Martin, editor of Research Policy and Associate Fellow of Cambridge's Centre for Science and Policy.

It was formed by Matthew Meselson and Julian Perry Robinson to provide research, training, seminars, and information on chemical biological warfare and its disarmament.

In 2010, Sussex faculty member Caitriona McLeish was appointed co-director of the HSP.

The program has an archival collection of CBW-related documents at the Sussex Harvard Information Bank (SHIB).