Training Awards Committee
Is responsible for the award of studentship funding, fellowships, and other training awards. It advises BBSRC on training policy and standards in these areas.
The Committee will:
- Implement the policy objectives agreed Bioscience Skills and Careers (BSC) Strategy Panel in delivering the policy requirements for the supply of highly skilled people into the academic, industrial, and related sectors
- Act as a repository of knowledge and its expectations in relation to excellence in student training, supervision and support
- Inform BSC of issues arising in relation to the quality of research training, including the provision of broad-based interdisciplinary training; professional, commercial and entrepreneurial skills development; and the understanding of the ethical and societal implications of their research
- Award BBSRC training grants at doctoral level to institutions with high quality training programmes meeting UK strategic skills needs in the biosciences, and undertake department engagement visits
- Award research fellowships to outstanding applicants to BBSRC's fellowship schemes, and advise BSC on any issues arising from the competition criteria or portfolio of schemes
- Monitor progress of BBSRC fellows and provide support and feedback as necessary; members act as mentors for David Phillips fellows
It meets 3 times a year:
- March (fellowship competition shortlisting)
- October (fellows annual reports and new fellows induction seminar)
- December (studentship competitions; fellowship competition sift; mid-term review presentations from David Phillips fellows)
- Other meetings as required: fellowship interview panels in April; departmental engagement visits. Members may also attend other BBSRC conferences including the biennial fellows conference
Members
We aim to have 17 members (including the Chair):
- Academic expertise (12) Covers training in the life sciences, physical sciences and engineering, including at least 1 scientist from an institute of BBSRC
- Industry (5) Covers expertise from user sectors, such as agriculture, bioprocessing, chemical, food, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals
Professor I Roberts (Chair) – The University of Manchester
Professor M Sheldon (Deputy Chair) - Swansea University
Professor R Bardgett (Shadow Chair) - Lancaster University
Professor J Birch - Independent
Professor D Davies - University of Southampton
Professor P Doyle - Unilever
Dr I Furner - University of Cambridge
Professor D Gavaghan - University of Oxford
Dr S Healy - University of St Andrews
Dr A Karp - Rothamsted Research
Dr J Lewis - GlaxoSmithKline R&D Limited
Professor S Radford - University of Leeds
Professor A Raybould - Syngenta
Dr C Rowe - Newcastle University
Professor M Stumpf - Imperial College London
Professor G Tucker - University of Nottingham
Dr W Watson - TEVA Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Meeting dates
2012
22-23 March
18 October
TBC December
2011
31 March
6-7 October
1-2 December
15-16 December
2010
25 March
- March 2010 minutes (PDF 165KB)- restricted annexes not attached
14 October
- October 2010 minutes (PDF 153KB)- restricted annexes not attached
3 December
2009
31 March
16 October
3-4 December
- December 2009 minutes (PDF 136KB)- restricted annexes not attached
2008
4-5 December
Contact
Avril Ferris
avril.ferris@bbsrc.ac.uk
tel: 01793 413258
fax: 01793 413392

