Enhancing research capability

Cambridge’s reputation in biomedical research is currently outstanding, and the Cambridge area has the highest concentration of biomedical scientists in the UK. However, biomedical research is extraordinarily competitive nationally and internationally, and there is absolutely no room for complacency. For us to continue to help Cambridge to maintain its leading position in biomedicine we need to:

• Horizon scan to understand future possibilities
• Shape funder priorities actively
• Enhance our ability to attract and retain the brightest individuals
• Ensure that all aspects of the environment and research culture are optimal for us, individually and collectively, to make ground-breaking discoveries
• Maximize opportunities for interdisciplinary and team science
• Maximise the likelihood that our research translates to real benefits for society.

Development of our priority research areas and cross-cutting themes

In the aftermath of a devastating global pandemic caused by a zoonotic pathogen, and amidst the ongoing AMR crisis, it is very clear that these areas must be central to our (and the University’s) research strategy. It is also evident that these strategic issues are best addressed within a One Health framework, based on the integration of research into disease agents in humans, animals and the environment. We are very well-placed to pursue this strategy, given our considerable strengths in One Health, zoonotic disease and AMR. This will continue to be an area of intense interest within SBS, the University, the UK and globally, which our position at the clinical/veterinary/research interface makes us ideally positioned to capitalise on.

We plan to continue to strengthen our research in this area by strategic replacement of retiring staff, and encouragement of fellowship applications from within and outside the department. We will build on our research culture initiatives to enable this, building a thriving research culture. We will promote collaborative research, both internally (particularly for clinical/non-clinical collaborations), and externally with key departments in SBS and Clinical Medicine, including recruiting to shared positions with other University departments where necessary.

We will build on this research strength to ensure that we are training our research students for academic leadership, but also for broader careers in research, pharma and other industries, as well as advisory roles benefitting the broader community.

Finally, we will enable big and bold new initiatives. Currently we are leading on two large proposals to build research capacity in this area in the Department and the wider University. These are 1) a multi-disciplinary Zoonotics centre bringing in expertise from SBS, SPS, Engineering, Social Sciences, Computer Sciences and SCM alongside developing commercial opportunities and 2) a centre for AMR research, intended to be a virtual centre underpinning collaborative AMR research across the department, SBS and other schools, including Medicine.

Research Culture and Infrastructure

We will build on a series of new initiatives to further reinvigorate the research culture in the Department. These include: 1) Attracting new junior group leaders by an agreement to recycle overheads, from fellowships that provide them, into direct support for the fellow. 2) Providing competitive internal funding for researchers to perform pilot studies for funding applications and pump-prime new collaborations. 3) Running an annual competition for small projects from PostDocs and PhD students to build new collaborations that are independent of their main project. This is intended to give them experience of funding applications and build their independence. 4) Putting on more internal symposia aimed directly at PostDocs and PhD students, to allow them to share their work amongst peers. 5) building links with the clinical research area through collaborative clinical/non-clinical small project grants funded jointly with UoC Veterinary School Trust (CamVet).

We will strengthen our research support and infrastructure by careful strategic investment. We have committed funding for at least five years to support a Research Facilitator and Research Administrator, who will work to enhance the research culture of the department, and support the faculty in making the best possible applications for grants. The Cellular Imaging Facility will, in the long term, collaborate with Physics and Chemical Engineering to develop advanced imaging technologies and integrate with state-of-the-art clinical imaging equipment to provide a unique centre in Cambridge for research imaging with capacity for in-vitro infectious work (BSL2 and 3).