O'Really?

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is on the road this autumn in London, Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow and Cambridge. Potential applicants, grant holders and any other interested parties are strongly urged to attend and learn about BBSRC’s plans for the future including new procedures and new Committee structures. The road shows will also provide an opportunity to meet the new members of the BBSRC Senior Management team.

From an original email sent by Alf Game, Deputy Director of Science and Technology Group. See BBSRC Roadshows.

The BBSRC has revised its future strategic priorities and the way in which they will be delivered through responsive mode peer review and is holding a series of road shows “Enabling the Delivery of Excellence with Impact” at various locations across the UK.

The BBSRC have had a good response so far but there are still spaces available at all venues and they would like as many members of the BBSRC Community to attend as possible. Therefore, potential applicants, grant holders and any other interested parties are strongly urged to attend and learn about BBSRC’s plans for the future including our new procedures and new Committee structures. The road shows will also provide an opportunity to meet the new members of the BBSRC Senior Management team, including the new Chief Executive Professor Douglas Kell.

The afternoon events are planned for:

• London 20th October 2008, Hotel Russell, 1-8 Russell Square, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 5BE
• Manchester 28th October 2008, Radisson Edwardian Manchester, Free Trade Hall, Peter Street, Manchester M2 5GP
• Bristol 31st October 2008, Thistle Bristol, Broad Street, Bristol BS1 2EL
• Glasgow 3rd November 2008, Crowne Plaza, Congress Road, Glasgow G3 8QT
• Cambridge 14th November 2008, De Vere University Arms, Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 1AD

Tea and coffee will be available at 14:00 pm with presentations due to commence from 14:30 pm. The meeting will finish at approximately 17:30pm.

Agenda

The meeting agenda currently looks something like this:

14:00 Registration and Coffee

Presentations

14.30 – 14.45 Douglas Kell: Introduction

14.45 – 15.15 Janet Allen: New Strategic priorities

15.15 – 15.30 Celia Caulcott: Greater Emphasis on Skills and Innovation

15.30 – 16.00 Alf Game: Description of New Committees

Discussion

16.00 – 17.00 Open Floor Question and Answer Session

17.30 Close

To be kept up to date with plans, and to register your interest in attending an event, if you have not already done so, please send your name, institution and contact details, together with your preferred venue to roadshows [-at-] bbsrc.ac.uk by Wednesday 1st October 2008.

Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis, if your chosen venue is full you may be offered an alternative if places are still available.

References

1. BBSRC changes peer review, priorities and Institute funding arrangements
2. Zoe Corbyn Distinction between blue-skies and BBSRC-managed proposals abandoned, Times Higher Education

[Creative Commons licensed Bend in the Road picture by Snarl]