Universities secure £20m Government cash for biosciences research
A consortium of the region’s universities have been awarded research studentships worth over £20m to build on the county’s bio-economy and success in life sciences and agricultural research.
The Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership 2020 (MIBTP2020) is led by the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick and brings together a number of other Warwick research departments, in partnership with the University of Birmingham, the University of Leicester, Aston University and Harper Adams University.
The funding comes from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council arm of the Government’s UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding organisation. This award will be matched by the universities in the partnership to fund a total of 245 doctoral students (59 per year) over the next five years.
Professor Pam Thomas, pro-vice-chancellor for research at the University of Warwick said: “We are pleased to see that this funding promotes collaboration across the Midlands and pools together ideas, equipment, skills and facilities to drive Midlands bioscience forward. Together we will be able to open up new avenues of research, by combining our interdisciplinary strengths and advances in: artificial intelligence and machine learning, state-of-the-art technology facilities for measurement, imaging and analysis, access to farmland and ecosystems, links to industry and the public and much, much more.”
Professor Alec Cameron, chair of the board of Midlands Innovation, said: “It is fantastic to see the announcement of this new collaborative Doctoral Training Partnership which includes four members of the Midlands Innovation university consortium. The DTP builds upon a strong heritage of life sciences research and collaboration across the Midlands and further strengthens the ties between our institutions.”
