The School of Biological Sciences has been awarded funding for two innovative science PhD programmes by a leading research charity. The University is among 15 UK institutions awarded funds by Wellcome to support doctoral training programmes that blend scientific excellence and a commitment to improving research culture. PhD training Wellcome has announced £127m in funding to support 23 PhD programmes. Each is built on high quality science training and promotes a positive research environment. They also include measures to address issues like student mental health, good research practice, supervision and mentorship, career transitions and increasing diversity in research. The new PhD programmes in science that we’re funding combine scientific excellence with a commitment to improving the working environment for trainees. Anne-Marie CoriatHead of UK and Europe Research Landscape at Wellcome Existing programmes The Hosts, Pathogens and Global Health programme, led by Professors Keith Matthews and Mark Woolhouse, in the School of Biological Sciences is one of the successful schemes. The programme, which provides interdisciplinary training in all aspects of infectious disease research, has been renewed for another five years. Since its establishment in 2016, the programme has developed a unique interdisciplinary and international research training structure providing expertise spanning infectious disease biology from molecular to evolutionary and epidemiological scales. The Hosts, Pathogens and Global Health PhD programme has proved itself as a dynamic and innovative model to train the next generation of infectious disease researchers. We are delighted the enthusiasm of our students, staff and international partners has been rewarded by this substantial new award. Keith MatthewsCo-Director Hosts, Pathogens and Global Health PhD programme New training A new programme have also been awarded funding from Wellcome. The Integrative Cell Mechanisms programme will be led by Professor Robin Allshire in the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology. It will train the next generation of cell and molecular biologists in the use of quantitative methods to understand the inner workings of distinct cell types in different settings. A detailed understanding of normal cellular function is required to investigate the molecular cause of disease and design future treatments. However, data generated by biological research requires increasingly complex analysis with technological advances generating increasingly large, complex datasets. Exploiting these technological advances will require scientists who have been trained across the distinct disciplines of natural sciences, engineering, informatics and mathematics. Related links Hosts, Pathogens and Global Health PhD programme Integrative Cell Mechanisms PhD programme Wellcome Trust blog by Anne-Maire Coriat - 4 ways that PhD programmes are improving their training culture Publication date 17 Sep, 2019
