BBSRC DTP2 Briefing

Prof Barry Hirst

Sept 2015 entry

• 1 of 12 DTP’s• Need to fit BBSRC remit/strategic priorities• 16 studentships per annum across partnership

Priorities

• 4 - Agriculture & Food Security• 2 - Biosciences for Health• 2 - World Class Underpinning Biosciences– Incl. Industrial biotechnology and bioenergy

• 8 – leverage - all BBSRC areas

Funding model

• Each studentship – 50% funding from BBSRC DTP– 50% funding from other sources• Underwritten by host school/institute• Current model 25% faculty/25% school/institute

– Fees approx. £4 k pa– Stipend approx. £14k pa– RTSG £5k pa• Used for student training

DRAFT Training model

• Year 1– New ways of working (3 mo. – Oct-Dec)

• Bioinformatics, Proteomics, big data, etc.• 2 mo. North-east; 1 mo. North-west

– Lab rotation 1 (3 mo. – Jan-Mar)– PIPS (3 mo. – Apr-Jun)– Lab rotation 2 (3 mo. – Jul-Sept)

• Years 2-4– PhD research project

• Additional research skills training

Supervision

• Supervisory teams• Cross institutional strongly encouraged– 2nd supervisor in Liverpool or Durham– May include 3rd or 4th supervisors• Additional partner (Liverpool/Durham), industry, etc.

• 1st lab rotation in 2nd supervisor’s lab

PIPS

• Professional Internships for PhD Students• 3 mo. experience in an alternative setting:– Industry– Non-governmental organisation– Charity– Government (e.g. BBSRC; British Library; Civil

Service)• Not directly related to research project

BBSRC DTP Cohort

• Cohort events:– Induction– PIPS introduction– Training together– SysMIC (online training in maths & computational

biosciences (UCL/Edinburgh-led programme))– Annual conference:• Science focus• Science communication, ethics, governance, society

Application process

• Simple Web form– Closing date tbc

• Scored across the partnership, likely criteria:– Project clearly within the remit of BBSRC and aligned to

strategic priority.– Excellence of science and training.– Cross-partnership supervision.– Supervisory teams recognised as providing an excellent

research training environment.– Supervisor(s) at an early stage of their career.

• Final ranking by BBSRC DTP Executive

DTP Executive (work in progress)• Newcastle

– Prof John Kirby (PG Dean FMS)– Prof Dianne Ford (ICAMB)– Prof Rob Edwards (AFRD)– Dr Tim Cheek (ICAMB)

• Liverpool– Prof Graham Kemp– Prof Jonathan Wastling– Prof Alan McCarthy

• Durham– Prof Keith Lindsey– Dr Nadja Reissland

• Admin– Barbara Sumner (FMS Graduate School Administrator– Sarah Golightly (DTP manager (FMS Graduate School)

DRAFT Recruitment process

• Advertise selected projects• Students apply to DTP• Shortlisted by Executive• Shortlist invited to visit (3 open Days)– Meet supervisors

• Supervisor input• Interviews by Executive• Selection and offer• Reserve list

Questions?