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Research and technology clubs:

BRIC doctoral programme

The call for applications is closed

Next application deadline: 2012 TBC

Summary

The programme aims to improve the supply of skills to industry and academia in the bioprocessing sector, by providing a PhD programme that includes structured training that exposes students to industrial practices and needs.

At the heart of the programme is a research training project which provides the student with the opportunity to:

• Make a novel contribution to industrially relevant research in bioprocessing
• Gain exposure to the challenges facing industrial companies in this sector

The BRIC Doctoral Programme is in response to this recommendation and will complement the EPSRC-funded Doctoral Training Centres at Newcastle and UCL that are relevant to the bioprocessing sector and other EPSRC studentship investments, by supporting training with a biosciences focus.

Training outcomes

Students will learn skills that they will not necessarily acquire during a standard doctoral programme which will benefit those who wish to enter the bioprocessing industry. These skills are:

• An increased understanding of the challenges facing industry in the bioprocessing sector
• A knowledge of industrial research practices
• Improved business skills including teamworking, leadership, project-management and communication
• An awareness of how industry and academia can successfully engage with each other and the barriers that can prevent this

Programme requirements

Ten standard Training Grants (TGs) commencing in the 2012/13 academic year will be offered with the following additional elements and conditions:

• For each doctoral training grant BBSRC provides £5000 per annum to fund the student's training and development. Students on BRIC studentships are expected to use this funding to undertake activities that will enable them to achieve the training outcomes described above, such as paying for attendance on training courses.
• The programme will be based within the remit of BRIC and must be substantially within the remit of BBSRC
• The student will be expected to participate in the BRIC Skills Development school and will be invited to other activities, such as dissemination events
• The student will be expected to undertake additional activities, including an industrial placement, to improve their understanding of industry and develop industrially relevant skills
• Due to the extra time that the student will need to spend on additional activities, it is expected the doctorate will take up to four years to complete
• Each studentship must be sponsored by an industry member of BRIC that will provide an industrial supervisor who will help the student to improve their understanding of industry

The progress of studentships will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that the student is receiving the support that they require, is gaining experience and is progressing through their project.

Eligibility

Applications may be submitted by academic supervisors (citing an industrial partner) at eligible UK universities or research institutes. Applicants are not required to have previously held a BRIC grant. However, each application must include an industrial partner who is a current industry member of BRIC. Applications will be led by the academic partner.

How to apply

The call for applications is closed. Applications should be made through the Joint electronic Submission (Je-S) system. See the full call text in the downloads section for further details.

Applications require a number of document attachments:

• Postgraduate performance indicators (exactly 1)
• Company details and support (exactly 1)
• A covering letter may also be submitted if desired

The template forms for the document attachments are also available in the download section.

Applications should be submitted to your institution's submitter/approval pool a minimum of 5 working days before the application deadline. Applications must be within our remit to avoid being rejected. Remit enquiries should be sent to our remit officer, see below.

More information

You can download the full call text, including details of the industrial participation and assessment criteria, from the downloads section.

 

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