Translational Exchanges for Tackling Infections: Breaking Boundaries through a Regional Partnership

This application for a BBSRC Flexible Talent Mobility Account (FTMA) represents a strategic partnership between the University of Warwick and the University of Birmingham. Our aim is to build on our productive regional collaborations, world-class facilities, and complementary strengths in biosciences research to deliver an FTMA that enhances knowledge exchange (KE) between sectors, promotes early career development, and is open and inclusive to diverse beneficiaries. In line with these aims, our proposed programme includes flexible secondments to and from external organisations, an early career researcher (ECR) and technician fellowship scheme, and support for new and existing international collaborations. To accompany these opportunities, we will support challenge-focused networking events with collaborators and technical network meetings open to both institutions. The contribution of our research culture practitioners to design of this programme has ensured that equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles are appropriately embedded and that opportunities for cross-sector professional exchanges are flexible and inclusive. Our application is focused on the priority area of tackling infections reflecting the breadth and diversity of our combined thematic strengths that span antimicrobial resistance (AMR), plant pathogens, genomic surveillance, vaccine development, and mathematical modelling of infections. The outstanding recent impact of our talented researchers and support staff on the frontlines of infectious disease outbreaks including the Ebola epidemic, avian influenza, and the COVID-19 pandemic, has highlighted the necessity of cross-sectoral collaborative partnerships to combat these emerging threats. The current crisis of AMR is also a major priority for scientists at both Universities and our dedicated interdisciplinary research centres would benefit greatly from enhanced external connectivity. Our present collaborations span academia, business, government, and the third sector and are vital to ensure our research is relevant to today's societal challenges and generates wide reaching impacts. The FTMA will allow us to deepen existing links and develop exciting new alliances that will last beyond the lifetime of this programme. We will place particular emphasis on opportunities to engage with policymakers in recognition of the role excellent research plays in shaping tomorrow's policy solutions. By allocating FTMA funding competitively and transparently through managed calls, we will be able to select projects that have potential for excellent KE, provide opportunities for professional development and are aligned with our EDI framework. This FTMA would represent a significant asset to our ECR and technical communities who reap numerous benefits from experiencing new working environments. Opportunities to drive externally facing projects will complement our existing investments in technical career development and ECR skills training. Emphasising the potential impact of the FTMA on early career trajectory are our previous beneficiaries who have used their external placements as crucial stepping stones on the path to becoming today's academic group leaders and spin out entrepreneurs. As well as supporting programme delivery, we are committed to ensuring mobility opportunities are extended to our research support staff which, in turn, will deliver valuable KE and additional external connections to our academic communities. Through the FTMA, we will provide vital opportunities for our staff to gain awareness of societal challenges, understand routes to policy impact, and appreciate the needs of industry. In this way we will support our researchers and support staff to become future drivers of positive change and champions of interconnectivity between all sectors that contribute to excellent research and its resulting impacts.