Five innovation projects that directly seek to enhance food security have been shortlisted for the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council’s (BBSRC) prestigious Innovator of the Year awards. BBSRC leads on the Global Food Security programme, which is hosted by UK Research and Innovation.
In its tenth year, the awards recognise the full breadth of impacts that investments in research have, from the creation of spinout companies or social enterprises, to working in collaboration with business and working with policy makers, both in the UK and abroad.
The food security finalists are:
- Professor Tony Moore, University of Sussex, for Commercial Impact Award: Global Food Security: the development of novel AOX fungicides to combat increasing fungal resistance
- Dr Philippa Borrill, John Innes Centre, for Early Career Researcher Impact Award: Accelerating impact of genomic resources in wheat breeding
- Dr Siobhan Gardiner, Cranfield University, for Early Career Researcher Impact Award: Building resilience in the vanilla supply chain: protecting smallholder livelihoods and the world’s favourite flavour
- Professor Venugopal Nair, The Pirbright Institute, for International Impact Award: International impact on improved control of poultry diseases for poverty alleviation and global food security
- Professor Martin Broadley and Dr E. Louse Ander, University of Nottingham and British Geological Survey, for International Impact Award: GeoNutrition: spatial aspects of hidden hunger.
Director of the Global Food Security Programme, Riaz Bhunnoo, said: “With five of the twelve projects focussed on food security, this selection highlights the current and crucial nature of the global food security challenge. I congratulate the finalists, and am delighted that this selection signifies the impact that the UK’s research and innovation continues to have in contributing to the global food security challenge.”
Twelve finalists will compete to be named Innovator of the Year 2018 at The Mermaid in London on 16 May 2018.
Winners of each category will receive a £10,000 award, with a further £10,000 award for the overall winner, the BBSRC Innovator of the Year.
The full list of winners can be viewed on the BBSRC website: The 2018 BBSRC Innovator of the Year finalists revealed.
ENDS
About Global Food Security
Global Food Security (GFS) brings together UK Research and Innovation, government departments and agencies, and the devolved administrations to coordinate and collaborate on food security research.
GFS facilitates new interdisciplinary research to address food system challenges, and provides a platform for working in partnership with a wide variety of stakeholders and users, both internationally and in the UK.
GFS also supports effective translation of research for use by food producers and processors, retailers, consumers and government, enabling them to respond to and manage the challenges facing the UK food system as well as related global issues, including the many challenges confronting the developing world in the face of environmental and demographic change.
About BBSRC
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government.
BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.
Funded by government, BBSRC invested £469 million in world-class bioscience in 2016-17. We support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.