Member Article

Funding to aid research into feeding world population

Lancaster University is among four institutions awarded nearly £1.8m for research into food security as part of a new Doctoral Training Partnership scheme.

The money, matched from the university’s own budget, will fund 18 PhD students as they address the challenges posed in feeding the world’s population in a healthy and sustainable way.

It is part of a network of 14 DTPs across the UK, announced by Universities and Science Minister David Willetts, as part of a £67m package of investment funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Mr Willetts said: “This £67 million investment in postgraduate training is excellent news for students, research organisations, industry and the UK as a whole. The brightest and best students will be finding solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing us all, from food security through to renewable energy.”

DTP funding enables institutions to recruit the best students and increase the impact of public investment, through additional sources such as industry or charities.

Bill Davies CBE, Distinguished Professor of Plant Biology at the Lancaster Environment Centre said: ‘We are delighted that Lancaster’s Food Security programme has been supported by the award of a BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership.

“Our DTP offers training and research in a range of disciplines which are key to an increase in the availability of safe and nutritious food.

“We hope that students joining the programme can go on to contribute effectively in areas which can positively impact the health and well-being of large numbers of people.

“We have had good support from industry collaborators in this programme and this will enable us to increase the number of studentships on offer.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .