BIOETHICS, a bridge between the facts and moral behaviour.
Future Farming Conference 21 Nov11
1. Addressing the skills gap in UK agriculture:
Connecting academic and private sectors
Dr David McAllister
Head of Skills and Careers
Image 1 – Tomato seedling iStockphoto/Thinkstock, Image 2 – Fermenter iStockphoto/Thinkstock 2011, Image 3 – Wheat Hermerara/Getty Images, Image 4 –DNAConfig Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Thinkstock,
Image 5 – Jersey Cow iStockphoto/Thinkstock, Image 6 – Scientist Comstock / Thinkstock
2. Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
BBSRC allocates around £470M p.a. (2010/11) to:
• Fund innovative, internationally competitive
bioscience research
• Train bioscientists
• Support knowledge exchange and encourage
economic and social impact
• Engage with the public and stakeholders
Food Security Bioenergy and Industrial Basic bioscience
Biotechnology underpinning health
3. Global Food Security
• Brings together the major public funders
of food-related research to tackle the
challenge of feeding 9bn people
sustainably by 2050
• Collective spend ~£426M per year
• Fosters a multidisciplinary approach to
this very complex challenge
• Ensures added value by minimising
duplication and maximising synergies
across funders
• Long-term though there will be quick
wins
4. Beneforté ‘super broccoli’ case study
2011: UK launch in Marks &
Spencer stores 4 October of
high glucosinolate ‘super
broccoli’, which has health
benefits
Result of a collaboration between the John
Innes Centre and Institute of Food Research,
both of which receive long-term strategic
funding from BBSRC, and Plant Bioscience
Limited (PBL)
5. Defence against animal diseases and zoonoses
70% of agricultural land is used to raise livestock; consumption could be
doubling between 2000-2050. Protection against disease of livestock and
diseases they can pass to humans is needed more than ever.
•Using recombinant DNA technology and fundamental biology
research, the Institute for Animal Health, Surrey, has
developed a way of producing a new, ultra-safe and stable
vaccine against Foot & Mouth Disease virus (FMDV).
•The new vaccine was developed by research funded jointly by
BBSRC and Defra and production yields are at commercially
Copyright iStockphoto / Thinkstock
viable levels. It contains FMDV devoid of genetic material,
therefore is not infectious and does not need high containment
facilities. The vaccine is at prototype stage, and initial tests
appear to support its efficacy in animals, in protecting against
disease.
•Medicago Inc., a Canadian company is to open a production
facility for plant-based production of ‘flu vaccines using
biotechnology processes, under licence from the John Innes
Roslin Institute
Centre. The technology is based on inactivated plant viruses.
A vaccine for H5N1 bird ‘flu produced in this way has just
completed Phase II clinical trials.
6. BBSRC support for collaborative training
Postgraduates
Industrial Policy
CASE Placements
Studentships
Professional
Internships for Postdocs / PIs
PhD Students Biotechnology
YES Flexible
Research
Interchange
Experience Advanced Programme
Placements Training
Partnerships
Enterprise
Undergraduates Fellowships
8. “Develop Advanced Training
Partnerships (ATPs):
Support the uptake of industry-
relevant specialist and technical
professional development, to help
businesses in key sectors take up
new science and innovation.”
9. Partnership is key to success…
Companies
Professional
Agricultural and
Colleges Accreditation
Bringing Bodies
together users
and providers of
high level
training in the
Research
agri-food sector
Levy Bodies
Institutes
Universities
10. Four ATPs have been awarded
Aberystwyth Royal Veterinary University of University of
University College Nottingham Reading
(C. Newbold) - £2.7M (S. May) - £2.9M (J. Roberts) - £4M (C. Williams) - £3.1M
Establishment of a
Advanced Training in Strategic Training
ATP for Sustainable Food Quality and
Intensive Livestock Hub for the
and Efficient Food Health – Sustaining
Health and Advancement of the
Production the Future
Production UK Agri-Food
Industry
Partnering with
Partnering with Harper
Rothamsted,
Partnering with Adams, Rothamsted
Partnering with Bangor Birmingham and, via
Cambridge, Edinburgh (Brooms Barn),
and NIAB, plus Leatherhead Food
(Roslin), Newcastle, Cranfield, plus
Waitrose, White Gold, Research, British Sugar,
Kent, plus Aviagen, Campden BRI, BASF,
Velcourt Danisco, National Milk
Pfizer, Vion Masstock, Waitrose,
Research, PepsiCo,
Bakkavor
Sainsbury’s
11. Modular Training for Industry
• Delivering up to date, industrially-relevant training for graduates working in
industry
• BBSRC provides pump priming support (~£15K for year 1 only) to develop
modular courses at Masters level
• Must demonstrate clear evidence of industrial demand
• Flexibility in format depending on needs of industry e.g. distance learning,
e-modules, workshops
• Examples of previously-supported courses:
eCPD in histotechnology
in-vivo techniques for biosciences and drug development
contemporary techniques in plant sciences
principles of genetic improvement
Positron Emission Tomography: technology and application
post-genomic data analysis
the business of bioremediation
12. CASE studentships
• Research training in area of relevance to non-academic (e.g.
industry) partner
• Collaborative postgraduate research training leading to a PhD
• CASE Partner: a non-academic organisation which provides
students with distinctive research training / experience not
available in an academic setting
• BBSRC supports CASE studentships within remit
• Scheme is supported by all Research Councils
• Non-academic Partner must provide:
o 6 - 18 month placement with relevant training
o £1.4k pa towards project costs
o Expenses associated with the placement
o Cash contribution to student’s stipend of at least £2.5k pa
14. Undergraduates: Research Experience Placements (REPs)
• Provide support for undergraduate summer research placements to:
– give promising undergraduates a first-hand opportunity to gain greater
experience of research in the biosciences
– raise the profile of research careers amongst undergraduate students
– interest students in postgraduate research in strategically important
areas
• REPs are allocated to a number of departments/institutes selected and
approved by BBSRC and the Bioscience Skills and Careers strategy panel
• Around 100 placements are available per year
• A significant number have been allocated to promote agricultural and
veterinary research, including 3 REPs to each of the UK’s vet schools
• Other REPs support agricultural science, integrative mammalian biology and
other areas
• Details at:
www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/studentships/research-experience-placements
15. • It is envisaged this new scheme will provide flexible
opportunities to enhance the genuine two-way flow of
ideas, people and skills through individuals moving
between different disciplines and sectors at all stages in
their career beyond the PhD (or equivalent)
• FLIP is currently being developed and is due to be
launched in 2012
16. Other BBSRC schemes also support
collaborative research and training in
the agri-food sector
Postdoctoral research grants
Research and Technology Clubs
BBSRC Fellowships
17. Research and Technology Clubs
Key Features
• A consortium of companies work together with BBSRC to fund basic research in
strategic areas within the research base
• Company members decide on the research priorities and contribute to review and
monitoring of research proposals
• ‘Common-pot’ funding (BBSRC/industry/ Other funders)
• In the typical club model, BBSRC contributes 90% of funding, industry
consortium contributes 10%
• Industry members subscriptions on sliding scale (company size)
• Regular dissemination events allow members to network, to hear about research
projects and to meet researchers
• Training (studentships targeted to Club areas)
18. New academic block Shaped by recent DTPs allow for
studentships Quota Evaluation better strategic
scheme to replace and BSC Strategy alignment and
Quota DTG Panel advice coordination
Integrated CASE no longer
Students placed in
Professional mandatory, now
world-class research
Internships for PhD supported through
environments
Students (PIPS) separate schemes
Expect to fund up to Total investment
Call launched 16
15-20 DTPs (most £60M, funding
March 2011, closing
multi-institutional) around 220 students
date 15 Sept 2011
for 3 yrs (2012-14) per annum
bbsrc.ac.uk/dtp
Strategic Excellence of
Leverage Partnership Concentration
Alignment Training
19. BBSRC Skills Statement
• Brings together the skills that BBSRC is particularly looking to
support through its Training Grants, including:
Broad strategic research priorities and enabling technologies
Specific strategically important and vulnerable niche research
skills
Cross-cutting core bioscience and generic professional skills
20. New academic block Shaped by recent DTPs allow for
studentships Quota Evaluation better strategic
scheme to replace and BSC Strategy alignment and
Quota DTG Panel advice coordination
Integrated CASE no longer
Students placed in
Professional mandatory, now
world-class research
Internships for PhD supported through
environments
Students (PIPS) separate schemes
Expect to fund up to Total investment
Call open 16 March
15-20 DTPs (most £60M, funding
workshop 23 June
multi-institutional) around 220 students
closing 15 Sept 2011
for 3 yrs (2012-14) p.a. (inc £5k RTSG) bbsrc.ac.uk/dtp
Strategic Excellence of
Leverage Partnership Concentration
Alignment Training
