Biosciences in the UK: Challenges & Opportunities
Organised by Heads of University Biological Sciences (HUBS), the Society of Biology and the Biochemical Society, this meeting brought together key decision makers and influencers with delegates from the Higher Education sector. The event took place on 10 November 2011 at Charles Darwin House, London.
HUBS Winter meeting 2011 was organized by Professor Peter Heathcote (HUBS), Dr Eva Sharpe (Society of Biology) and Beck Smith (Biochemical Society, now of the Campaign for Science and Engineering).
Meeting programme:
10:00 - 10:30 Tea/Coffee and Registration
10:30 - 12:30 Session One
Professor Freedman is Chair of the Society of Biology Education, Training and Policy Committee. In his 40 years as an academic, he has been Head of Department of Biosciences at two universities (Kent 1989-94, Warwick 2002-7) and was Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Kent (1996-2002). As Chair of the Biochemical Society (1996-98) he worked to build co-operation between Learned Societies, leading to the establishment of the Biosciences Federation and ultimately of the Society of Biology. From 2002-8 he was a member of the Council of the BBSRC.
Dr Hill is Head of the Strategy Unit at Research Councils UK (RCUK). Steven joined RCUK in 2007 from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), where he spent five years providing scientific advice and developing Defra's approach to evidence and innovation. Prior to his time at Defra, Steven was a university lecturer at the University of Oxford where his research focused on plant physiology and biotechnology.
Professor Kell has been Chief Executive of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) since 2008. He is presently seconded from The University of Manchester, where he was Director of the Manchester Centre for Integrative Systems Biology from 2005-8. He has served on numerous scientific panels, including on the Programme Management Committees of three LINK schemes and the RCUK Basic Technology Panel, and was a member of BBSRC Council from 2001-6.
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch
13:30 - 15:30 Afternoon session
Professor Ole Petersen CBE FRS is the director of the Cardiff University School of Biosciences. He chairs the Biological Sciences Sub-panel for the Research Excellence Framework, leading a sub-panel of experts in assessing UK university-based research in the biological sciences. Professor Petersen is also a Member of the Science Advisory Council for Wales.
Stephen is a Professor of Structural Biology at Imperial College London. He writes the
Reciprocal Space blog and you can follow him on Twitter. Stephen has blogged and talked about impact and its assessment as part of the Research Excellence Framework.
15:30 - 16:00 Tea/Coffee and Meeting Close