In Scotland, the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre has been awarded GBP2.7 million by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s Collaborative Training Partnership to provide 27, four-year doctoral scholarships. Seventeen of the scholarships will focus on industrial biotechnology and bioenergy, while 10 others will earmarked for students pursuing the development of “world-class underpinning bioscience,” such as synthetic biology, biocatalysis, and biotransformation. The funds comprise over a third of the BBSRC’s funds allocation for industrial biotechnology and bioenergy.
Each student will receive just under GBP100,000. The funds will be used for course fees and a stipend, as well as GBP5,000 annually as a Research Training Support Grant. The students will also be paired with industry partners, including Ingenza, for 3-18 months.
“The program is unique in offering students collaborative projects at the interface between academic and industrial R&D as well as training in entrepreneurship and management skills,” says Ian Fotheringham, managing director at Ingenza.