The bioscience big ideas pipeline is an important part of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s (BBSRC) strategic engagement and horizon scanning efforts.
Complementing our various other activities, from community workshops and webinars to expert advisory groups, collectively these efforts help us craft a comprehensive strategy to support and champion UK bioscience.
Unveiling fresh ideas
In October 2023, we launched a bespoke community campaign to unveil bold, adventurous and potentially transformative ideas that push the boundaries of current thinking. Thanks to your efforts, we received almost 50 new ideas from across the UK.
The big ideas panel
On 29 February, BBSRC Council member Professor Jo Price led a panel of experts in evaluating your big ideas. The panel discussed each idea individually and as part of a broader portfolio before advising BBSRC on the most promising concepts and themes with transformational potential.
Inspirational concepts
Your ideas spanned an array of themes and innovative approaches that cut across BBSRC’s portfolio, including:
- harnessing the vast potential of ribonucleic acid biology
- developing novel approaches for resilience and disease resistance in plants and animals
- studying life in changing or extreme environments to explore natural biological adaptation and inspire sustainable bio-based innovations
- advancing artificial intelligence, engineering biology and other technologies of the future
- exploring and understanding dynamic, complex biological processes
- translating molecular and cellular insights into real-world applications for healthier ageing and improved crops
Shaping the future of UK bioscience
Following the panel’s recommendations, our next step is to further explore the most promising ideas with subject matter experts and wider stakeholders. We will integrate your big ideas concepts with other evidence and insights to help shape BBSRC’s future strategy for UK bioscience.
A unique platform for unique ideas
The bioscience big ideas pipeline is unique. It is not a funding opportunity, nor is it associated with direct funding. And that is very much by design.
There are many routes through which ideas can have impact, and the big ideas pipeline plays a pivotal role in bringing forward ideas that could shape the future of UK bioscience.
In effect, it is bigger than any dedicated funding call because it spans BBSRC’s remit, serving as a strategic platform where visionary concepts can be identified, refined and potentially morphed into larger-scale projects.
Big ideas in action
Previous ideas submitted to the pipeline have helped shape BBSRC’s thinking in areas of strategic national importance.
Ideas put forward in relation to net zero and agriculture contributed significantly to the evolution of two key research programmes, namely the land use for net zero programme and the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) agri-food for net zero network plus.
Meanwhile, in the world of digital research infrastructure, what started out as a big idea submitted by the ELIXIR-UK community has today transformed into the BioFAIR project.
With UKRI funding support totalling £34 million, BioFAIR is poised to revolutionise UK life science research and innovation by transforming how we facilitate research data management.
The pipeline is always open
As BBSRC embarks on an exciting phase of strategic development, with a new Executive Chair and a refreshed forward look for UK bioscience, the ideas submitted to the pipeline will continue to play a pivotal role in guiding the future of bioscience.
The big ideas pipeline is always open for business, and we encourage you to keep sharing your innovative concepts with us. We’re eager to see what transformative ideas you will bring forward next.
We also invite you to participate in our 2024 community consultation and ensure your priorities and values are reflected in BBSRC’s refreshed Forward Look for UK Bioscience. The consultation is live and will run until 20 September 2024.
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Dr Amanda Collis studied for a degree in plant sciences and PhD in fungal molecular biology before joining BBSRC in 1998.
She has extensive experience of the UK research councils with strong interests in basic and strategic research, multidisciplinary approaches, funding partnerships and research infrastructures.
Amanda has broad experience in UK science policy, including time spent on secondment to the Houses of Parliament, Research Councils UK and detached duty to the British Consulate General, Boston, where she worked alongside the UK government’s Science and Innovation Network.
She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Biology.
On 1 July 2023, Amanda was appointed Interim Deputy Executive Chair of BBSRC. She served in this capacity for 12 months before returning to her substantive post as BBSRC’s Executive Director for Research Strategy and Programmes on 1 July 2024.