Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of

UK Research and Innovation UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom that directs research and innovation funding, funded through the science budget of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Str ...

, is a non-departmental public body (NDPB), and is the largest UK public funder of non-medical bioscience. It predominantly funds

scientific Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence ...

research institutes and

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...

research departments in the UK.

Purpose

Receiving its funding through the science budget of the

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is a department of His Majesty's Government. The department was formed during a machinery of government change on 14 July 2016, following Theresa May's appointment as Prime ...

(BEIS), BBSRC's mission is to "promote and support, by any means, high-quality basic, strategic and applied research and related postgraduate training relating to the understanding and exploitation of biological systems".

Structure

BBSRC's head office is at Polaris House in Swindon - the same building as the other councils of

, AHRC EPSRC, ESRC, Innovate UK, MRC, NERC,

Research England Research England is a part of United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) that oversees the functions of UKRI in relation to university research and knowledge transfer in England. This includes: * providing funding to English universities for re ...

and

STFC The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is a United Kingdom government agency that carries out research in science and engineering, and funds UK research in areas including particle physics, nuclear physics, space science and astro ...

, as well as the UKSA. Funded by Government, BBSRC invested over £498 million in bioscience in 2017–18. BBSRC also manages the joint Research Councils' Office in Brussels – the UK Research Office (UKRO).

History

BBSRC was created in 1994, merging the former

Agricultural and Food Research Council The Agricultural and Food Research Council (AFRC) was a British Research Council responsible for funding and managing scientific and technological developments in farming and horticulture. History The AFRC was formed in 1983 from its predecessor, ...

(AFRC) and taking over the biological science activities of the former

Science and Engineering Research Council The Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) and its predecessor the Science Research Council (SRC) were the UK agencies in charge of publicly funded scientific and engineering research activities, including astronomy, biotechnology and bi ...

(SERC). Chairs * Sir Alistair Grant (1994-1998) * Dr Peter Doyle CBE (1998-2003) * Dr Peter Ringrose (2003-2009) * Prof Sir

Tom Blundell Sir Thomas Leon Blundell, (born 7 July 1942) is a British biochemist, structural biologist, and science administrator. He was a member of the team of Dorothy Hodgkin that solved in 1969 the first structure of a protein hormone, insulin. Blun ...

FRS (2009–2015) * Prof Sir Gordon Duff (2015–present) Chief executives * Prof (now Sir)

FRS (1994 -1996) * Prof Ray Baker CBE (1996-2002) * Prof (now Dame)

Julia Goodfellow Dame Julia Mary Goodfellow (née Lansdall; born 1 July 1951) is a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kent, and Chair of the British Science Association. She was the president of Universities UK from 1 August 2015 until July 2017. Early ...

CBE (2002-2007) * Prof Douglas Kell CBE (2008–2013) * Dr Jackie Hunter CBE (from 21 October 2013) * Prof Melanie Welham FRSB (2016-2018) Executive chairs * Prof Melanie Welham FRSB (2018–present)

Governance and management

BBSRC is managed by the BBSRC Council consisting of a chair (from 2015, Professor Sir Gordon Duff), an executive chair (Professor Melanie Welham) and from ten to eighteen representatives from UK universities, government and industry. The council approves policies, strategy, budgets and major funding. A research panel provides expert advice which BBSRC Council draws upon in making decisions. The purpose of the research panel is to advise on: * the development and implementation of the council's strategic plans * the competitiveness, relevance, economic impact, and societal considerations of the science and innovation activities funded by BBSRC * opportunities for partnership with national and international organisations

Boards, panels and committees

In addition to the council and the research panel, BBSRC has a series of other internal bodies for specific purposes. * Appointments Board * Remuneration Board * Strategy Advisory Panels - eight panels advise and report to the BBSRC Executive Chair * Research Committees - five committees award research grants in specific science areas

Institutes of BBSRC

The council strategically funds eight research institutes in the UK, and a number of centres
BBSRC: Institutes and centres
. They have strong links with business, industry and the wider community, and support policy development. The institutes' research underpins key sectors of the UK economy such as agriculture, bioenergy, biotechnology, food and drink and pharmaceuticals. In addition, the institutes maintain unique research facilities of national importance. * Babraham Institute (BI) (

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge beca ...

) * Earlham Institute (EI) (formerly The Genome Analysis Centre) (

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...

) * The Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), part of

Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth University ( cy, Prifysgol Aberystwyth) is a Public university, public Research university, research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The universi ...

( Aberystwyth) * John Innes Centre (JIC) (

) * The Pirbright Institute ( Pirbright), formerly the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) *

Quadram Institute The Quadram Institute is a centre for food and health research, combining Quadram Institute Bioscience (formerly the Institute of Food Research), the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals’ endoscopy centre and aspects of the University ...

(

), formerly the Institute of Food Research * The

Roslin Institute The Roslin Institute is an animal sciences research institute at Easter Bush, Midlothian, Scotland, part of the University of Edinburgh, and is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. It is best known for creatin ...

(RI) (

Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east- central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinbur ...

), part of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

* Rothamsted Research (

Harpenden Harpenden () is a town and civil parish in the City and District of St Albans in the county of Hertfordshire, England. The population of the built-up area was 30,240 in the 2011 census, whilst the population of the civil parish was 29,448. H ...

and North Wyke) Other research institutes have merged with each other or with local universities. Previous BBSRC (or AFRC) sponsored institutes include: * Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER - Aberystwyth), merged with the

University of Aberystwyth , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment ...

2008 * Letcombe Laboratory *

Long Ashton Research Station Long Ashton Research Station (LARS) was an agricultural and horticultural government-funded research centre located in the village of Long Ashton near Bristol, UK. It was created in 1903 to study and improve the West Country cider industry and ...

(LARS -

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...

) * the Plant Breeding Institute (PBI -

) * the Weed Research Organisation (WRO -

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

) * Silsoe Research Institute (SRI -

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council ...

) was closed in 2006.

References

{{Authority control Biological research institutes in the United Kingdom Biology education in the United Kingdom Biotechnology in the United Kingdom Biotechnology organizations Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Government agencies established in 1994 Life sciences industry Non-departmental public bodies of the United Kingdom government Organisations based in Swindon Organizations established in 1994 Research councils Research institutes in the United Kingdom Science and technology in the United Kingdom 1994 establishments in the United Kingdom