Next generation of UCL bioscientists earn government funding

Bioscience PhD students at UCL are benefiting from a share of a £170 million investment announced today by the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The UCL-led London Interdisciplinary Doctoral Training Partnership (LIDo), bringing together eight partner universities, has been commissioned for a further five years from 2020 as part of the BBSRC's 2019 DTP3 competition. The award will fund 190 PhD studentships over five years across the eight LIDo partner universities, of which a minimum of 55 are earmarked as industrial collaboration "CASE" studentships. The funding represents an investment of over £20M in LIDo's development of future bioscience researchers. The Director of UCL's London Interdisciplinary Doctoral Training Programme (LIDo DTP), Professor Jonathan Ashmore (UCL Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology) commented: "The award is really excellent news for UCL's bioscientists of the future. We look forward to working alongside our colleagues from the eight institutions in this London-wide partnership and with industry leaders and to continue our highly collaborative, interdisciplinary and successful training programme." The LIDo partners are UCL, King's College London, Queen Mary University of London, Royal Veterinary College, Birkbeck, University of London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine plus two new members: Royal Holloway, University of London and University of Greenwich's Natural Resources Institute. Close working with industry is fostered by associate partners Unilever, Royal Botanic Garden at Kew, the Food Standards Agency and the Animal and Plant Health Agency.