Newcastle University

Newcastle University is leading the collaboration with Durham and Liverpool universities and will be given £4.5m by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, (BBSRC), with another £4.5m from other sources.

This Doctoral Training Partnership is one of 14 across the UK supported by £67m of new investment in postgraduate training and development in the biosciences by BBSRC.

The programmes will provide highlly skilled scientists for academia, policy and industry and support the BBSRC mission to further scientific knowledge for economic growth, wealth and job creation - improving the quality of life in the UK and beyond.

Newcastle University's Professor Barry Hirst, lead for the Doctoral Training Partnership, said: “This is a fantastic investment for training bioscientists.  Approximately, £5.5 million of the investment will come to the northeast. 

"Training will focus on our world-class research in national strategically important research areas, including into lifelong health and wellbeing, diet and health, microbial food safety, animal health and welfare, and crop science.  It will bring top-class scientists from all over the country and further afield to train in the north-east.”

Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts, speaking about the national investment, said: “This £67 million investment in postgraduate training is excellent news for students, research organisations, industry and the UK as a whole. The brightest and best students will be finding solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing us all, from food security through to renewable energy.

“The partnership approach means that many institutions are combining their strengths to provide students with improved training and relevant work experience. This will better equip them for future careers, be it in research, industry, or elsewhere.”

More on this story can be read in the press release.