An Introduction to BBSRC & Current
Funding Opportunities
Dr Jo O’Leary
Science Delivery Manager
Research Innovation and Skills Directorate
University of Leicester
23 June 2010
1
Overview
• Introduction to BBSRC
• BBSRC’s Strategy and Priorities
• BBSRC Grant Funding and Peer Review
• BBSRC Studentships
• University of Leicester Funding
• Current Funding Opportunities
2
• Introduction to BBSRC
• BBSRC’s Strategy and Priorities
• BBSRC Grant Funding and Peer Review
• BBSRC Studentships
• University of Leicester Funding
• Current Funding Opportunities
3
Research Councils UK
• Strategic partnership of the UK's seven
Research Councils
• Combined budget of £3.4 billion in 2010/11
4
Biotechnology and Biological
Sciences Research Council
Our Mission (Royal Charter) is:
• to support high-class science and
research training, and to promote
knowledge transfer
• in support of bio-based industries and
public engagement in bioscience.
BBSRC funding totals around £450M p.a. (09/10)
ACADEMIA
INDUSTRY
STAKEHOLDERS
GOVERNMENT
PUBLIC
5
• Introduction to BBSRC
• BBSRC’s Strategy and Priorities
• BBSRC Grant Funding and Peer Review
• BBSRC Studentships
• University of Leicester Funding
• Current Funding Opportunities
6
Cross-Government Grand Challenges
• Environmental Change
– Food Security
– Bioenergy
• The Science of Life
– Healthy Ageing
– Diet and Health
• Tools and technologies,
including software
– Importance of new techniques
– Virtualisation of science
– Distributed information and
modelling
7
Delivery of Multidisciplinary
Cross-Council Programmes
• Food Security
• Bioenergy
• Living with Environmental Change
• Ageing
• Global Threats to Security
• Bio-nanotechnology
• (Digital Economy)
8
BBSRC Strategic Planning
Documents
10 years
Vision
5 years
3 years
Practical delivery
9
BBSRC’s New Strategic Plan
2010 - 2015
10
BBSRC Strategy
Strategy Advisory Board
and Strategy Panels
Delivery
Formulation
Refreshment
Committees
Membership and Agenda for Strategy Advisory Board and
Strategy Panels will be on the BBSRC website
11
BBSRC Priorities
• Historically, multiple priorities
covering everything
• Restructured to enable
Excellence with Impact
• Now fewer priorities
• BBSRC-wide priorities
12
BBSRC Priorities 2008-2011
Research Priorities
Policy Priorities
•
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•
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•
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Ageing Research: Lifelong Health
and Wellbeing
Animal Health
Bioenergy
Crop Science (Food Security)
Global Security
Living with Environmental Change
Nanoscience Through
Engineering to Application:
Bionanotechnology
Synthetic Biology
Systems Approach to Biological
Research
Technology Development for
Bioscience
•
•
Economic and Social Impact
Impact on Public Policy
Increased International
Collaboration
Replacement, Refinement and
Reduction (3Rs) in Research
Using Animals
Welfare of Managed Animals
(including Livestock and
Companion Animals)
Details of all these are
on the BBSRC website
13
Food Security
“when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to
sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food
preferences for an active and healthy life”
• Greater agricultural yields
• with fewer inputs of nutrients and water
• in the face of competing demands for land use
• and in the face of continuing threats of diseases of
both plants and animals, and with a need for
microbiological and nutritional safety
14
Examples of BBSRC
Food Security Work
• Rinderpest
– Close to global eradication
– estimated to benefit Africa by over
$1 billion annually
• Striga (Witchweed)
– BBSRC research has lead to
management and reduction of
striga weed
15
Bioenergy
• BBSRC Bioenergy Review 2006
Clostridium
New Biofuel?
• Centre for Sustainable Bioenergy
Research (launched in 2009)
• Multi-disciplinary and systems
approaches
• International collaboration through
SysMo
Courtesy of Nigel Minton
16
Systems Biology
• Emerging research area
• Predictive models of biological
systems (pathways, cells, organs,
organisms, ecosystems)
• Iterative cycles of modelling (dry)
and biological (wet) experiments
• 6 BBSRC Centres established
(2005/06) and 6 SABR grants
(2006/07)
• International collaboration
– ERASysBio (11 EU partners)
– BBSRC:ANR (Fr)
17
Technology Development for
the Biosciences
• Need for improved
technology from bioscience
community
• Multi-disciplinary
(biosciences, physics,
chemistry, engineering,
computer sciences)
• Engagement with industry,
potential for spin-out
18
Synthetic Biology
• Emerging area at intersection of biosciences and engineering
• BBSRC-led UK Research Councils initiative to form networks to address
Science and Engineering, Ethical, Legal, Societal Impacts
• Need to form interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary partnerships
• European Union – Transnational Roadmap for Synthetic Biology
19
Key Messages
• Responsive Mode is the major vehicle to deliver
our priorities
• We need to deliver more inter-disciplinary and
strategically focussed science with greater
impact
• We must deliver excellence science with
demonstrable impacts
20
The Funding Cycle Partnership
BBSRC Make Case
for Continued
Funding
Government
Spending Review
Stakeholder
Inputs
Various
Impacts
Money for
Bioscience
21
Excellence with Impact
• What do we mean?
•
•
•
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Excellent science
Strategic focus
Capturing outputs
Demonstrate benefit
22
Examples of high impact
projects
Bluetongue research at
BBSRC’s Institute
for Animal Health saves
£485M in 2008
through prevention of
outbreaks, and
protected 10,000 jobs
Tools and models which
reduce leaching of
nitrate from farmland by
38%
Food safety: improving
techniques to chill
foods; extended shelf
life; reduced food
poisoning contribute >
£100M pa to the
economy
23
Pathways to Impact
What is impact?
• RCUK recognises that the research we fund has both
academic, and economic and societal impacts.
• The potential to maximise both of these is assessed
within peer review process
– Academic impact: Academic beneficiaries and case for support
– Economic/societal impact: Impact summary and Pathways to
Impact
Pathways to Impact?
• Changing name of ‘Impact plans’ to clarify their purpose
• Not changing the purpose
• ‘Pathways to Impact’ chosen to reflect that we want
applicants to explore ways to enhance potential impact,
not predict impact
What is economic and societal impact?
• The demonstrable contribution that excellent research
makes to society and the economy by:
– Fostering global economic performance, and specifically the
economic competitiveness of the UK
– Increasing the effectiveness of public services and policy
– Enhancing quality of life, health and creative output
RCUK is committed to excellence with impact
• This means continuing to invest in the best research,
people and infrastructure; whilst aiming to enhance the
impact of that funding on society.
Why are we asking you to explore Pathways
to Impact?
• Asking applicants to consider activities to enhance economic and
societal impact is not new
• We know that the research we fund has a huge impact on the
wellbeing and economy of the UK
• Recent changes help emphasise the importance we place on this
and ensure that potential impacts are demonstrated and supported
• Also ensures common format for capturing and assessing this
information across different Research Councils
What do I need to write in my application?
• Academic beneficiaries
– Should cover potential academic impact and pathways towards
realising that.
• Impact summary
– Should cover potential economic and societal impact and seek to
answer two questions:
• Who might benefit from this research?
• How might they benefit from this research?
• Pathways to Impact
– Should detail the activities which will help develop potential
economic and societal impact, answering the question:
• What will be done to ensure that potential beneficiaries have the
opportunity to benefit from this research?
What exactly should I write?
• Activities outlined in the Pathways to Impact
should be
– Project specific
– Appropriate
• For more guidance see individual Research
Council websites.
– From April www.rcuk.ac.uk/pathwaystoimpact
Will Pathways to Impact affect the funding
decision?
• Yes they could
• The primary criterion is still excellent research
• Beyond that, a number of considerations
– Of which Pathways to Impact is one
• Likely to affect decisions for example…
– At the borderline
– Where there is a clear need for user engagement
What if my research is assessed as excellent but
my Pathways to Impact are deemed unsuitable?
• BBSRC reserves the right to withhold the award of grant until
Pathways to Impact are of a standard appropriate for the project.
What if my Pathways to Impact are assessed as
excellent but my research is deemed unsuitable?
• Excellent research remains the primary criterion, you will not be
funded.
How does Pathways to Impact assessment
compare with REF considerations?
• We share a common understanding on the description of economic
and societal impact.
• The REF aims to assess impact which has been achieved.
• The BBSRC peer review process is not trying to assess impact. It is
designed to explore the potential for impact by considering potential
beneficiaries from the outset.
• RCUK undertake impact evaluations, but this is a separate exercise,
and they are done retrospectively.
Can I request resources to fund the activities
detailed in my Pathways to Impact?
• Yes, all Research Councils provide resources to enable
impact generating activities.
• Applicants may request resources to cover the costs of
eligible, project specific activity within their Pathways to
Impact, unless applying via STFC where separate
funding schemes for impact should be used
• Introduction to BBSRC
• BBSRC’s Strategy and Priorities
• BBSRC Grant Funding and Peer Review
• BBSRC Studentships
• University of Leicester Funding
• Current Funding Opportunities
36
Responsive Mode Must Deliver:
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Excellent science
Basic, strategic and applied research
Impact
Strategic priorities
Interdisciplinary science
Grants of all sizes e.g. LoLas
Hypothesis- and non-hypothesis-driven research
37
To Clarify
Responsive
Mode Research
=
Fundamental
Research
=
Blue Skies
Research
• If there is no hypothesis it can be fundable
• Applied research can be excellent research
• We fund technology, resources and databases
38
Research Committees
A: Animal
Systems,
Health &
Wellbeing
animal welfare
basic microbiology
animal physiology
applied plant science
soil science
diet & health
A
animal disease
applied microbiology
food borne
pathogens
behaviour
basic plant science
evolutionary biology
population biology
genome analysis
neuroscience
ageing
developmental biology
immunology
B
agricultural systems
crop science
environmental change
systems
biology
3Rs
Stem Cells
genetics/genomics
bioinformatics
molecular biology
cell cycle
bioenergy
environmental
biotechnology
mathematical tools
for biology
metabolic engineering structural biology synthetic biology food technology
biotechnology
chemical biology
D: Molecules,
Cells &
Industrial
Biotechnology
D
recombination
drug delivery
tissue engineering
biological chemistry
gene action & regulation
bioprocessing
cell biology
biochemistry
enzymology/biocatalysis
B: Plants,
Microbes, Food
& Sustainability
C
bionanotechnology
bioimaging
technology
development
biomaterials
bioinformatic tools
methods development
biophysics
C: Technological
& Methodological
Development
39
Research Committee Membership
CORE
Deputy
CHAIR
CHAIR
POOL
To serve on BBSRC Committees
• Check BBSRC website
• Subscribe to our monthly alert for opportunities to apply
Criteria for Peer Review
Scientific Excellence
Economic and Social Impact
Cost Effectiveness
Ethical
Animal
Data
&
Social
Investment in People & Skills Impact
Usage
Sharing
Concerns
Timeliness and Promise
Industrial/Stakeholder Relevance
Relevance to BBSRC Strategy
41
The Peer Review Principles
Application via JeS
Assessment by Referees
Response to Referees
Assessment by Committee
Recommendation
42
Committee Input into Strategy
Assessment
Responsive Mode
Proposals
&
Reported Outputs
Evidenced Based
Input
Council
Strategy Advisory Board
Strategy Panels
Strategy Development
43
Responsive Mode Schemes
• New Investigator Award
– early-career researchers alan.harrison@bbsrc.ac.uk
• Industrial Partnership Award
– must have at least 10% of the full economic cost of the project
(cash only) phil.holliday@bbsrc.ac.uk
• Applications in these schemes receive an uplift in the
rankings - significant increase in likelihood of funding
44
Highlight Notices
• Will Deliver Timely Strategic Focus
• Relate to BBSRC Strategic Aims
• Time-limited
• Focused
45
Strategic LoLas
• Run on an annual call – next call expected Spring 2011
• Applications must be over £2M FEC and up to 5 years in duration
• Support research projects requiring "big" science approaches:
longer timescales, intensive resources or multidisciplinary approach
• 2 stage application process via Je-S
– Outline
– Full proposal
• All applications must address BBSRC's strategic priority areas
– Ensure scientific excellence
– Focus on the impact and quality of the research team
46
Simple pre-submission
checks
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•
•
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Is your Institution eligible?
Is the research within BBSRC’s remit?
Which research committee?
Is it a resubmission?
Are the PI/ Co-Is eligible?
Has all the paperwork been done and submitted
correctly?
• Are the fEC costs correctly inputted to the form?
47
Make the case properly
• A worthwhile and reasoned aim: what, why, how
• Appropriate, measurable, achievable objectives with
realistic timelines
• Well-written, concise, & well-presented
• Supported: evidence of skills, knowledge, preliminary
data, etc
• Risks and contingencies
• Context: awareness/appreciation of current activity
• Justify costs, related to case. Get the costs checked –
appropriate admin help needed
• Think about impacts: say what will be done to address
them - links and contacts
48
Help is at Hand
• Talk to us:
– Prior to submission - submit 1-2 page research
summary
– After submission - read the feedback
• Help the Office by:
– Explaining your science (to intelligent non-experts)
– Peer reviewing (refereeing) when asked
– Reading the Je-S guidance notes and BBSRC grants
guide
– Treating the Office staff with respect
49
• Introduction to BBSRC
• BBSRC’s Strategy and Priorities
• BBSRC Grant Funding and Peer Review
• BBSRC Studentships
• University of Leicester Funding
• Current Funding Opportunities
50
www Studentships
Training highly-skilled scientists
• BBSRC supports over 2000 postgraduate
students
• One third trained in collaboration with industry
(CASE)
• Additional training provided in “transferable skills”
• Over 30% PhD students take immediate
employment in private sector
• Addressing skills needs e.g. bioprocessing, in
vivo physiology, mathematical biology
Delivery Plan 2008-2011
• ‘Skills and Training’ positioned under Economic Impact
• Warry Report: “.. the output of highly educated people rather than
research results is widely regarded as the most effective knowledge
transfer mechanism.”
Previous
(2007-08)
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
Studentships
£42.0M
£43.7M
£47.0M
£51.1M
Fellowships
£5.3M
£6.7M
£8.9M
£10.5M
Training highly-skilled scientists
A significant investment
Investment in People (08-09)
Fellowships
(£6.7M)
Studentships
(£43.7M)
BBSRC funds around 2200
PhD students and 1900
postdocs at any one time
BBSRC funded
Postdocs (approx.
spend)
£150M
Training Awards Committee (TAC)
• TAC responsible for assessment and monitoring of
studentship and fellowship funding:
–
–
–
–
–
Membership includes academics and industrialists
Departmental Visits
Monitors progress of BBSRC Fellows
Members act as Mentors for BBSRC David Philips Fellows
Chaired by Professor Ian Roberts (Manchester)
Bioscience Skills & Careers
Strategy Panel (BSC)
• BSC advises on the wider agenda now facing BBSRC’s
strategy for investment in skills and careers
– Membership includes representatives from all other Strategy
Panels
– A more integrated approach to developing training strategy
– Thinking about the broad economic and social impact of trained
people in research and research related careers
– Chaired by Professor Ottoline Leyser CBE FRS
• Met for the first time 26 January 2009
Strategic use of Quota DTGs
•
Part of the 2007 Quota competition was to ask departments
about their processes for using DTG flexibility
•
Processes need to take account of BBSRC priorities in
selecting supervisors and studentship proposals
•
Vital element of Quota DTG approach is that this flexibility is
used strategically – also responding to local research skill
needs and needs of industrial collaborators
•
CASE requirement in Quota awards: 25% of studentships
need to be CASE
Core Bioscience Skills Areas
• Introduced as part of the 2007 Quota DTG
competition
• We expect all Quota DTG funded PhD
programmes from October 2009 to provide
students with a range of core bioscience skills
• We do not wish to be prescriptive on the level of
training needed, but all students need to have
some exposure to these
Core Bioscience Skills Areas
Three groups of core skills for bioscientists:
• Mathematical skills
• Computational and data handling skills;
• Multi-disciplinary approaches to biological systems
• Public engagement and outreach opportunities
• Ethical awareness training
• Awareness of the social context of biological research
• Commercial awareness
• Business and management skills
• Entrepreneurial awareness
Annual Industrial CASE competition
2010
• Annual Competition with proposals submitted by
companies or by academic partner
– 88 four-year studentships available again this year
– Double the number available in the 2006 competition
• Individual projects specified
– Training Awards Committee reviews projects to
ensure that they offer appropriate training vehicle to
the student
– Research training has to be robust and genuinely
collaborative
• Deadline 4pm, 28 July 2010
• Introduction to BBSRC
• BBSRC’s Strategy and Priorities
• BBSRC Grant Funding and Peer Review
• University of Leicester Funding
• Current Funding Opportunities
61
General Trends in Funding
62
BBSRC funding at University of
Leicester
• Success rates for responsive mode and initiatives
2005/6
2006/7
2007/8
2008/9
Funded
8
8
11
2
Not
funded
24
19
17
22
Success
by value
(£k) %
25
30
39
8
63
• Introduction to BBSRC
• BBSRC’s Strategy and Priorities
• BBSRC Grant Funding and Peer Review
• University of Leicester Funding
• Current Funding Opportunities
64
Application Closing dates
• Responsive Mode
– 23 June 2010 - TODAY
– 6 October 2010
• Fellowships
– Next call TBC
• International Schemes
– Next call September 2010
• Business and
Innovation Schemes
– See Donald’s talk
• Studentships
– Next call TBC
65
Useful email contacts
• BBSRC remit queries remit@bbsrc.ac.uk
• Specific queries about responsive mode applications:
– Research Committee A ctteeapm@bbsrc.ac.uk
– Research Committee B ctteebpm@bbsrc.ac.uk
– Research Committee C ctteecpm@bbsrc.ac.uk
– Research Committee D ctteedpm@bbsrc.ac.uk
• Help with JeS JeSHelp@rcuk.ac.uk
• Details on Science Outreach Visits helen.meade@bbsrc.ac.uk
• Dr Jo O’Leary Jo.O’Leary@bbsrc.ac.uk
66