BBSRC Strategic Plan 2010 - 2015:The Age of Bioscience

Driven by new tools and technologies

….never before have researchers been able to address such a breadth and depth of biological

questions….

Three crucial enabling themes

Three major strategic science priorities

World-class bioscience

Strategic Plan 2010 – 2015

Food Security Bioenergy and Industrial

Biotechnology

Basic bioscience underpinning health

Three major strategic science priorities (Grand Challenges)

Three crucial enabling themes

Exploiting new ways of working

KE, innovation and skills

Partnerships

Hemera © Thinkstock 2011 iStockphoto © Thinkstock 2011

© Jupiter Images Corporation 2010

© www.micrographia.com 2011

The Delivery Plan is guided by six core principles:

• Maintaining excellence in bioscience

• Meeting UK and global bioscience ‘grand challenges’

• Transforming delivery and driving efficiency

• Powering economic recovery and growth in the new bioeconomy

• Ensuring a supply of highly skilled people

• Underpinning national security

Delivery Plan 2011 – 2015

Maintaining excellence in bioscience

• Protect responsive mode: balanced portfolio of funding mechanisms

• More strategic focus: societal and economic Grand Challenges

• Fewer initiatives: unless with leverage…. more highlight notices

• Excellent people: skills development and careers

• New ways of working: Data intensive and multidisciplinary bioscience

• Infrastructure and capability: e.g. institutes as national facilities

Excellence in bioscience

Institutes• Mostly strategic

research• Mission orientated • Longer-term funding

(5yr programmes)• specialist facilities

and capabilities

Universities • Basic and strategic

research • Curiosity driven /

aligned to university strategy

• Short and long-term funding (1-5yr grants)

• specialist facilities and capabilities

BBSRC fund research in Universities and Institutes

1:2

around

£260M p.a.

around

£140M p.a.

© Institute For Animal Health 2009

• GFS programme: Joining up research through BBSRC leadership

• Position UK as a Global leader in wheat: Wheat genome 5x coverage £7M for public wheat pre-breeding programme (sLoLa award)

• Reducing GHG emissions from Agriculture: Living with Env. Change (LWEC)

• Transformational research: enhancing photosynthesis

• Underpinning the livestock sector: productivity, sustainability, health and welfare

Food SecuritySome BBSRC priorities

Hemera © Thinkstock 2011

Hemera © Thinkstock 2011 Hemera © Thinkstock 2011 Michael Blann/Digital Vision, © Thinkstock 2011

Hemera Technologies © Getty Images 2011 © Jupiter Images Corporation2009

iStockphoto © Thinkstock 2011

Food security*

9

BBSRC Strategic Priorities

• Crop science• Animal health• Livestock production• Soil science and agri-systems approaches• Healthy and safe food

Recent Calls

• FACCE JPI pilot action: ‘A detailed climate change risk assessment for European agriculture and food security’

• Ecology of infectious diseases • Effects of environmental change on the soil-water interfa

ce: Implications for food production and water supply

• EMIDA ERA-Net (Emerging and Major Infectious Diseases of Livestock)

• Sustainable Crop Production Research for International Development

10

The BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Centre (BSBEC)

Perennial Bioenergy CropsAngela Karp(Rothamsted)• IBERS• Imperial College• University of

Cambridge• Ceres Inc

Cell Wall SugarsPaul Dupree(Cambridge)• Newcastle University• Novozymes A/G

Cell Wall LigninClaire Halpin(Dundee)• University of York• SCRI• RERAD• Limagrain UK Ltd• Syngenta• AgroParisTec – INRA

joint Research Unit of Biological Chemistry

Lignocellulosic Conversion to BioethanolKatherine Smart (Nottingham)• University of Bath • University of Surrey• BP • Bioethanol Ltd• Briggs of Burton • British Sugar Ltd• Coors Brewers Ltd • DSM• Ethanol Technology Ltd • HGCA• Pursuit Dynamics • SABMiller• Scottish Whisky Research Institute

Second Generation, Sustainable, Bacterial BiofuelsNigel Minton (Nottingham)• Newcastle University• TMO Renewables Ltd

Marine Wood Borer Enzyme DiscoverySimon McQueen-Mason(York)• University of

Portsmouth• Syngenta Biomass Traits

Group

Biomass

Growth

Biomass

Composition

Biomass

Deconstr

uction

Ferm

entation

Fuel

ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

£20 million plus£4 million industrial support

Advanced Training Partnerships (ATPs; £12.7M/5 years)

Aberystwyth University

(C. Newbold)

ATP for Sustainable and Efficient Food

Production

Partnering with Bangor and NIAB, plus Waitrose, White Gold,

Velcourt

Royal Veterinary College (S. May)

Advanced Training in Intensive Livestock

Health and Production

Partnering with Cambridge, Edinburgh

(Roslin), Newcastle, Kent, plus Aviagen,

Pfizer, Vion

University of Nottingham (J. Roberts)

Establishment of a Strategic Training

Hub for the Advancement of the

UK Agri-Food Industry

Partnering with Harper Adams,

Rothamsted (Brooms Barn), Cranfield, plus Campden BRI, BASF, Masstock, Waitrose,

Bakkavor

University of Reading

(C. Williams)

Food Quality and Health – Sustaining

the Future

Partnering with Rothamsted,

Birmingham and, via Leatherhead Food Research, British Sugar, Danisco, National Milk

Research, PepsiCo, Sainsbury’s

Enhancing photosynthesis

• Ides Lab - 5-day intensive workshop that aims to develop multidisciplinary, transformative, and high-risk high-reward proposals

• Outline proposals continually refined through ‘real time’ peer review by respected academics

• A select number of high-quality outlines have been invited to submit full proposals – over $8M available

• Parallel standard BBSRC initiative on enhancing photosynthesis - £2M available

• Standard Research Grant (SRG)

• Led by early-mid career SSA/S.Asia PEARL Fellow

• Project duration: = 4 years• No funding for PhD

studentships• Funding covers PI salary

Sustainable Crop Production Research for International Development (SCPRID)

• Led by PI from any eligible institution

• Project duration: ≤ 5 years• May include PhD studentships• Funding does not cover PI salary

–Projects for Emerging Agricultural Research Leaders (PEARLs)

• Must include at least one UK partner and one from a Developing Country• Assessed for Scientific Excellence, Development Relevance and Research Capacity

Building

All Projects

BBSRC international activity

• Developing Countries– Already two successful initiatives with DfID (SARID and CIDLID)– Launched third SCPRID Jan 2011 (with Gates and Indian Govt)

• Europe– Joint Programming Initiative: BBSRC-lead with INRA on Agriculture, Food

Security and Climate Change– Shaping FP8

• Agricultural ‘superpowers’ – Collaboration with NSF on enhancing photosynthesis– Further exploring opportunities with Brazil

FACCE JPI - Joining Forces in Europe in Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change

Food Food securitysecurity

ClimateClimate changechangeAgricultureAgriculture

Food access, utilisation& availability

Food Food securitysecurity

ClimateClimate changechangeAgricultureAgriculture

Food access, utilisation& availability

Consuming

Retailing & Distributing

Processing & Packaging

ProducingProducing

Water vapour

Aerosols

Albedo

GHG emissions

Carbon sinks

Crops

Livestock

Grasslands

Natural resources

Aquaculture

Forestry

Biomass

AdaptationAdaptation

MitigationMitigation

GlobalisationGlobalisationTrade Trade liberalisationliberalisationMarketMarket instabilityinstability

GlobalisationGlobalisationTrade Trade liberalisationliberalisationMarketMarket instabilityinstability

PlanetaryPlanetary boundariesboundariesLand & water Land & water limitslimits

GHG GHG limitslimits, Contaminants , Contaminants limitslimitsPeakPeak oiloil, , PeakPeak phosphorusphosphorus

PlanetaryPlanetary boundariesboundariesLand & water Land & water limitslimits

GHG GHG limitslimits, Contaminants , Contaminants limitslimitsPeakPeak oiloil, , PeakPeak phosphorusphosphorus

RisingRising foodfood demanddemandPopulation Population riserise

ChangingChanging foodfood habits habits UrbanisationUrbanisation

RisingRising foodfood demanddemandPopulation Population riserise

ChangingChanging foodfood habits habits UrbanisationUrbanisation

Global environ. changeGlobal environ. changeDisturbedDisturbed C and N cycles C and N cycles

SoilSoil degradationdegradation, , BiodiversityBiodiversity lossloss

Global environ. changeGlobal environ. changeDisturbedDisturbed C and N cycles C and N cycles

SoilSoil degradationdegradation, , BiodiversityBiodiversity lossloss

FACCE JPIFACCE JPI

FACCE-JPI Secretariat INRA/BBSRC

Governing Boardled by INRA/BBSRC

20 countries participating2 reps / country + EC

€5000 entry fee / country

Scientific Advisory BoardScientific Research Agenda on

web: www.faccejpi.com5 core themes, being further

developed

€2M EC project led by INRA/BBSRC

research & strategic agenda, mapping, implementation,

communication, future

Pilot Action July 2011 Knowledge Hub

“A detailed climate change risk assessment for European agriculture and food security’

Joint Programming brings a new dimension to European research by aligning national programmes in participating countries around grand societal challenges.

Global Food Security Programme

Global Food Security

The challenge for agriculture

Need:

50% more production on less land, with less water, using less energy, fertiliser and pesticide …

…by 2030

… whilst not increasing GHG emissions

Food

205020101980

Food production/supply

Population

Waste reductionincluding on farm, post harvest and consumer

Technology adoptionBetter management

Climate changeGHG targetsChanging dietsEnergyFertiliser costsNutrient costsLand useLand availabilityWaterBiodiversityBan on chemicals

Is there really a problem?

By 2030:Agricultural production

More people means less cultivated land per person for food, feed, (agro)-fuel and fibre production

2030 – 8.3 bn people

2030?

Environment

Energy

Emerging technologiesHuman Health

Economics, politics and

social

Research &development

Effects of the climate change on agriculture & aquaculture; water and land use; and biodiversity

Competition and synergies with biofuels and biorenewables; and effects of energy prices on food

Nanotechnology in agri-food Industry

Global commodities markets and world trade policies

Underpinning biology, chemistry, economics, engineering and social science

Nutritional requirements linked to health

Food Centric Issues

Food: from agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries to processing, consumer affairs and diet

Food

• Increasing populations and demand on food• Competition for agricultural land from multiple

sources: industry, housing, leisure• Increasing costs and impacts of global food

distribution networks• Changes of diet in key developing nations (change

to higher protein/meat diets)• Potential impact of global pandemics of animal or

plant diseases and new emerging diseases• Food safety, including pathogens and toxins• Public attitudes to food and farming (e.g. GM,

organic food, pesticides, greater ethical treatment of animals, food costs)

• Food waste, at farm, processing and in the home• Understanding personal nutrition for health or

survival• Changing requirements of food supply linked to

changing demographics• Biofortification of crops to improve nutrition• Environment, sustainability and resource use

Agri-FoodResearch Production Manufacture Distribution Consumer Health

BBSRC

Defra

FSA

DfID

MRC

NERC

ESRC

Scot.Gov

DH

Food related Disease

NaturalEnvironment

Research

EPSRC

TSB

Programme Themes

1.Economic Resilience

2. Resource Efficiency

3. Sustainable production and supply

4.Sustainable, healthy, safe

diets

Innovation

Skills

Infrastructure; International

User engagement and communication

Sustainable, affordable, safe, healthy food

Sustainable ecosystems;reducing GHG and waste

Agri-ecosystems priority

= research towards developing an understanding of the interactions of the multiple elements of an agricultural system and the broader natural environment, to inform predictive and/or adaptive strategies to sustainably manage and balance agricultural production and ecosystem services (e.g. biodiversity).

- Whole system analyses (problems not shifted elsewhere)- Includes water and energy interactions and costs- Brings together expertise of natural, biological and

social/economic sciences- Predicting how strategies can impact on the whole system

essential for policy makers (Defra, EA) and landscape managers (farmers!). How do we decide what services to prioritise, where and when? Effective management of tradeoffs.

- Central importance of soil science and rhizosphere interactions

Interfaces with other programmes

Impact of environmental change on water and food security

Improving security of food supplyin developing countries to increaseprosperity and societal and political stability

Sustainable, safe and nutritious food supply. Diet and health.

LWEC

Global Uncertainties

Food SecurityLifelong

Health and Wellbeing

• UK, EU, World context

• Growing population

• Changing demographics

• Agricultural efficiency

• Aquaculture• World trade• Transport• Post harvest losses

• Food processing• Food choice• Retail

Reducing ‘energy’ inputs across the food supply chain. New sources of energy and competition for land. Energy