Deadline: 11 September 2018

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has announced a total of £6.9 million to support a number of interdisciplinary, collaborative research proposals to address the challenges spanning the agriculture-nutrition-health interfaces relating to food and nutrition research for health in the developing world.

The purpose of this programme is to inform the development of new strategies to address the challenges in food, nutrition and health by supporting collaborative research that brings together the complementary capabilities of scientists in the UK and partners in developing countries. It aims to:

• generate health benefits by investing in interdisciplinary research across the agriculture – food – nutrition – health pathway to sustainably and cost-effectively deliver more nutritious foods to improve physical and cognitive health across the lifecourse in developing countries
• improve the nutritional content and bioavailability of nutrients in a diverse range of foods to meet nutritional requirements and address malnutrition/ key nutrient deficiencies in the developing world

Scope

• Primary food production relating to increasing productivity – both crop and animal (precision agriculture, pest/disease resistance)
• Nutrition solely directed at improving animal health
• Food safety – contamination of food by pathogens, toxins or other harmful substances at any stage of the food-chain
• Research directed at human pathology and disease, for example cancer, diabetes. Research solely focussed on obesity is also excluded, but is included when considering it in the context of the ‘double burden’ of malnutrition
• Epidemiological research and the establishment of new cohorts.

Funding Information

Up to £6.9 million is available, subject to the quality of proposals received. Total requested costs should not exceed £2 million (at 100% of their full economic cost; see eligible costs section in the guidance for applicants).

Eligibility Criteria

• The call is open to individuals and organisations normally eligible to apply to the UK research councils for research grants.
• Applications must be led by an eligible PI in the UK.
• As well as UK researchers normally eligible for BBSRC funding, applications may include (for this call only) eligible Co-Investigators based in any of the DAC countries.

How to Apply

Applicants can apply online via given website.

For more information, please visit BBSRC.