BBSRC/NERC/MRC Doctoral Focal Award in AI and Data in Engineering Biology

Funding to deliver a doctoral focal award in AI and data in Engineering Biology.

The BBSRC/NERC/MRC Doctoral Focal Award in Engineering Biology aims to train the next generation of leaders across the emerging field of engineering biology. Training programmes supported by this funding opportunity will aim to focus on harnessing the transformative potential of discovery-driven research and its application to address a diverse range of major global grand challenges which align to the National Engineering Biology Programme (NEBP).

Specifically, this funding opportunity aspires to train a new contingent of engineering biologists with advanced skills to further understanding and to conduct research which addresses the discovery-inspired challenges of:

• Bioinspired Design.
• Novel Materials.
• Bioengineered Cells and Systems.

In addition to the application-inspired challenges of:

• Biomedicine.
• Clean Growth.
• Environmental solutions.
• Food systems.

Applicants should design their doctoral training programmes with the aim to identify and address short and long-term skills challenges faced by the engineering biology sector and foster interdisciplinarity between industry, academia and other employers.

The overall aims of this funding opportunity are to support a high standard of collaborative research training through:

• Delivering world-class doctoral research, training and development within dynamic and supportive research and innovation environments.
• Advancing current understanding, generating new knowledge, and developing the breadth of expertise in engineering biology for future economic and societal impact.
• Supporting capacity building across the discovery-inspired and application-inspired challenges outlined in the national engineering biology programme.
• Involvement of organisations beyond academia in the selection, development and implementation of projects they would like to support and supervise through CASE studentships.
• Preparing students to follow a diversity of career paths.
• Supporting a diverse doctoral community, which includes addressing areas of underrepresentation (for example protected characteristics, types of professions, career stage and porosity within the research and innovation system).