BBSRC Funding Opportunities

1. BBSRC Funding Opportunities Dr Sophia Abbasi Birkbeck College, Westminster University and London Southbank University 27.01.2010

2. Introduction to BBSRC • BBSRC’s Strategy and Priorities • BBSRC Grant Funding and Peer Review • BBSRC Funding at Birkbeck College • Current Funding Opportunities

3. Introduction to BBSRC • BBSRC’s Strategy and Priorities • BBSRC Grant Funding and Peer Review • BBSRC Funding at Birkbeck College • Current Funding Opportunities

4. Research Councils UK • Strategic partnership of the UK's seven Research Councils • Combined budget of £3.4 billion in 2010/11

5. ACADEMIA INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS PUBLIC GOVERNMENT Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Our Mission (Royal Charter) is: • to support high-classscienceandresearchtraining,andtopromoteknowledge transfer • in support of bio-basedindustriesandpublicengagementinbioscience. BBSRC funding totals around £450M p.a. (09/10)

6. Introduction to BBSRC • BBSRC’s Strategy and Priorities • BBSRC Grant Funding and Peer Review • BBSRC Funding at Birkbeck College • Current Funding Opportunities

7. 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

8. Delivery of Multidisciplinary Cross-Council Programmes • Food Security • Bioenergy • Living with Environmental Change • Ageing • Global Threats to Security • Bio-nanotechnology • (Digital Economy)

9. BBSRC Strategic Planning Documents 10 years 5 years 3 years Vision Practical delivery

10. BBSRC’s new Strategic Plan 2010 - 2015

11. BBSRC Priorities • Restructured to enable Excellence with Impact • Historically, multiple priorities covering everything • Now fewer priorities • BBSRC-wide priorities

12. Formulation Refreshment Delivery Committees BBSRC Strategy Membership and Agenda for Strategy Advisory Board and Strategy Panels are on the BBSRC website Strategy Advisory Board and Strategy Panels

13. Research Priorities 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 Policy Priorities 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) BBSRC Priorities 2008-2011 Details of all these are on the BBSRC website

14. Food Security • 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 “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”

15. 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

16. Bioenergy • BBSRC Bioenergy Review 2006 • Centre for Sustainable Bioenergy Research (launched in 2009) • Multi-disciplinary and systems approaches • International collaboration through SysMo Clostridium New Biofuel? Courtesy of Nigel Minton

17. 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)

18. 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

19. 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

20. Excellence with Impact • What do we mean? • Excellent science • Strategic focus • Capturing outputs • Demonstrate benefit

21. The Funding Cycle Partnership

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. Impact is very broad

24. Key Messages Responsive Mode will be 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

25. Introduction to BBSRC • BBSRC’s Strategy and Priorities • BBSRC Grant Funding and Peer Review • BBSRC Funding at Birkbeck College • Current Funding Opportunities

26. Responsive Mode Must Deliver: • Higher impacts • Strategic priorities • Interdisciplinary science • Grants of all sizes e.g. LoLas • Needed to refresh old system to deliver this

27. To Clarify • If there is no hypothesis it can be fundable • Applied research can be excellent research • We fund technology, resources and databases This has not changed Responsive Mode Research Fundamental Research Blue Skies Research = =

28. animal welfare basic microbiology animal physiology applied plant science soil science diet & health basic plant science evolutionary biology A B agricultural systems animal disease applied microbiology population biology crop science genome analysis food borne pathogens behaviour environmental change systems biology neuroscience bioenergy ageing 3Rs Stem Cells developmental biology environmental biotechnology genetics/genomics immunology bioinformatics molecular biology mathematical tools for biology cell cycle synthetic biology metabolic engineering structural biology food technology technology development D C biotechnology recombination drug delivery chemical biology tissue engineering biomaterials bionanotechnology biological chemistry gene action & regulation bioprocessing bioinformatic tools bioimaging cell biology biochemistry methods development enzymology/biocatalysis biophysics Research Committees A: Animal Systems, Health & Wellbeing B: Plants, Microbes, Food & Sustainability D: Molecules, Cells & Industrial Biotechnology C: Technological & Methodological Development

29. CORE Deputy CHAIR CHAIR POOL New Flexible Membership • To serve on BBSRC Committees • Check BBSRC website • subscribe to our monthly alert for opportunities to apply

30. Criteria for Peer Review Animal Usage Ethical & Social Concerns Data Sharing Impact Scientific Excellence Economic and Social Impact Cost Effectiveness Investment in People & Skills Timeliness and Promise Industrial/Stakeholder Relevance Relevance to BBSRC Strategy

31. Application via JeS Assessment by Referees Response to Referees Assessment by Committee Recommendation The Peer Review Principles

32. Council Strategy Advisory Board Strategy Panels Committee Input into Strategy Assessment Responsive Mode Proposals & Reported Outputs Evidenced Based Input Strategy Development

33. 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

34. Strategic LoLas • Run on an annual call • Applications must be over £2M 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 (CLOSING DATE 10 MARCH) • Full proposal • All applications must address BBSRC's strategic priority areas • Ensure scientific excellence • Focus on the impact and quality of the research team

35. Simple pre-submission checks • 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?

36. 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

37. 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

38. Introduction to BBSRC • BBSRC’s Strategy and Priorities • BBSRC Grant Funding and Peer Review • BBSRC Funding at Birkbeck College • Current Funding Opportunities

39. General Trends in Funding

40. BBSRC funding at Birkbeck College • Total number of live BBSRC grants = 10 • Value of BBSRC grants = £2.7M • Overall HEI success rate =21%

41. Introduction to BBSRC • BBSRC’s Strategy and Priorities • BBSRC Grant Funding and Peer Review • BBSRC Funding at Birkbeck College • Current Funding Opportunities

42. Application Closing dates • Responsive Mode • 14 April 2010 • 14 July 2010 • Strategic LoLas Outlines • 10 MARCH 2010 • Fellowships • Next call announced soon • simon.culter@bbsrc.ac.uk • Studentships • Next call announced soon • avril.ferris@bbsrc.ac.uk • International Schemes • Next call September 2010 • andy.boyce@bbsrc.ac.uk • Business and Innovation Schemes • See Donald’s talk

43. Highlight Notices • Will Deliver Timely Strategic Focus • Relate to BBSRC Strategic Aims • Time-limited • Focused

44. Systematics & Taxonomy (SynTax) Scheme • BBSRC & NERC committing £250k per year for research with a substantial systematics/ taxonomy component • Additional £20k Defra funding available for applications focusing on UK Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Species • Further Information/to apply: Systematics Association website [Awards] – http://www.systass.org/awards/syntax.shtml • Closing Date: 31 January 2010

45. Useful email contacts • BBSRC remit queries remit@bbsrc.ac.uk • Specific queries about grant 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 andy.boyce@bbsrc.ac.uk • Sophia Abbasi sophia.abbasi@bbsrc.ac.uk