Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme

Blogwatchers among you may have seen that I often enthuse about the strength of the Agency’s science. But there’s no room for complacency and so it’s always a pleasure to report new developments, particularly one that will contribute to developing the skills-base of the next generation of scientists.

Today the Agency issued its latest call for applications to its Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme. This scheme was introduced four years ago to help provide future researchers with skills training in areas relevant to the Agency’s future research needs. 

Our first scholars in the Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme will soon be completing their training. I wish them well in completing their work and look forward to reporting the first successes for the scheme.

Recently, based on applications we received in response to last year’s call, scientists began their training scholarships, in the use of 'omics’ technologies (e.g. transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) in food safety and also in food allergy and intolerance.  These were chosen from a field of high quality applications. 

This year the scheme is calling for proposals for training scholarships in areas of food hygiene and meat hygiene and I look forward to hearing that the Agency receives high quality applications, with nominations of talented scientists, from UK institutions.