Funding package will underwrite training, mentoring and diversity initiatives.
A new initiative aimed at improving female representation in wheat research has secured funding from the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Led by the John Innes Centre (JIC), in collaboration with Rothamsted Research and The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL), the project aims to achieve gender parity within the UK wheat community.
This 12-month project builds on the success of the Rosalind Franklin Women in Wheat Champions programme, spearheaded by Professor Diane Saunders at JIC, which was established to address the significant gender imbalance in wheat research within academia.
The new funding will allow this successful development programme to be expanded across organizations within the Delivering Sustainable Wheat (DSW) Strategic Programme, one of the largest coordinated wheat research initiatives in the UK.
“We have tremendous talent emerging in the next cohort of female wheat early career researchers and PhD students across multiple UK institutes and universities,” Dr. Kim Hammond-Kosack, a research discovery fellow based at Rothamsted and leader of the Delivering Resistance element of the DSW programme, said in a press release. “Now is the time to ensure we give this next generation the very best chance of career progression into senior positions and independence within wheat research. Giving voices to diversity is the only way to achieve real innovation in this sector.”
Female wheat researchers across the UK will gain digital access to career development training courses previously created by JIC/TSL, along with a highly successful one-on-one mentoring programme.
Additionally, they will have the opportunity to participate in professional leadership training and a specialized career development workshop in 2025. Senior wheat researchers will also undergo inclusive leadership training, aimed at addressing unconscious gender bias and helping them identify and tackle organizational barriers that may hinder female career advancement.
“I am proud that we are helping improve diversity and equality in science,” Professor Graham Moore FRS, Director of the John Innes Centre, said in a press release. “Working with our partners to support women in science, especially in fields like wheat research, is essential to solving critical challenges like food security and sustainable agriculture.
“Our project doesn’t just improve equity. It promotes new perspectives and innovation; diversity drives progress. When we empower our colleagues, we’re not just advancing scientific discoveries, we’re helping to feed the world.”
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