Application deadline: 20 September 2012

Background

BBSRC, in partnership with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), encourages applications for early career research fellowships (analogous to the David Phillips fellowships scheme) in areas of science that are of strategic and scientific interest and importance to the funders. For more details see:

• BBSRC’s strategic plan
• FSA’s strategy to 2015 (external link)
• FSA’s science and evidence strategy 2010-15 (PDF, external link)

They welcome proposals within the BBSRC/FSA remit. The FSA particularly encourages proposals which can demonstrate potential for significant leaps forward in providing the evidence needed to underpin its objective of safer food for the nation. These may be on current/new areas of interest where building research capability/capacity/new approaches would be helpful, for example:

• on foodborne disease organisms such as Listeria
• on emerging/new issues for which a compelling case can be made

Number of awards

They anticipate two 5-year fellowships will be awarded, in addition to the standard BBSRC David Phillips fellowships awarded annually, and subject to the usual excellent quality expected.

BBSRC and FSA have allocated up to £2M to fund these additional fellowships.

How to apply

Application to these fellowships is through the David Phillips fellowship scheme (see related links).

Applicants should submit a covering letter indicating that they wish to be considered for the BBSRC-FSA fellowships scheme.

Please note that only one application to both schemes is required.

Applications submitted which are considered out of remit will automatically be considered for a standard David Phillips fellowship, so long as they fall within the broader BBSRC remit.

Assessment

Applications to both schemes will be assessed in the same way through BBSRC’s Research Committee E (supplemented by appropriate expertise as required).

Application assessment will run concurrently with that of David Phillips fellowships.

Engagement with policy

As part of successful fellowships, each Fellow will be allocated a mentor from the FSA (in addition to the mentor assigned from BBSRC) to foster collaboration and interaction between the Fellow and the FSA.

Each Fellow will also be expected to spend approximately one to two days per month working with FSA staff to:

• develop understanding of the science into policy environment
• contribute to the strategic development of the Agency’s evidence base to underpin the formulation of FSA policies

Further information

Potential applicants are encouraged  to contact BBSRC/FSA to discuss their proposals’ fit to remit, see contacts below.

External contact

Alisdair Wotherspoon, FSA (scientific remit)
alisdair.wotherspoon@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

Contact