The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has announced the Engineering Biology for Environmental Applications Doctoral Focal Award (ENGBIO4ENV), a first-of-its-kind training programme in the UK.
Part of the Cranfield University-led UKRI Environmental Biotechnology Innovation Centre, the ENGBIO4ENV programme has been designed to take the transformative advances made in engineering biology over the last few years and translate them into practical, real-world solutions.
The programme will do that by adopting a systems-level approach rather than focusing on isolated disciplines. This will equip researchers with the interdisciplinary skills needed to transition between academia, industry and government.
ENGBIO4ENV will train 52 doctoral candidates to tackle these key areas:
- Drive the UK’s transition to a circular bioeconomy and net-zero economy.
- Develop field-ready biotechnologies for pollution remediation, resource recovery, and real-time environmental monitoring.
- Lead in sectors such as bio-based green economy, environmental resilience, clean growth, and data-driven environmental governance.
- Address critical skills shortages in microbial community engineering, AI-driven bioprocess optimisation, bespoke biosecurity solutions, and process scale-up for industrial applications.
- Influence policy through robust environmental techno-economic and risk assessments.
Frederic Coulon, Professor of Environmental Chemistry and Microbiology at Cranfield University, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for early-career researchers to make an impact in an area where the UK has a clear skills gap to fill.
“The ENGBIO4ENV programme has been co-designed by 25 industry and Government partners to make sure that graduates have the skills needed to contribute in whatever area they choose. The programme goes far beyond a traditional PhD and also offers a variety of tailored career development activities, which will aid all students in their transition between studying and the world of work.”
Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, BBSRC Executive Chair, said: “Through these investments, UKRI is strengthening the UK’s leadership in critical technologies while creating meaningful opportunities for businesses, researchers and regions across the country. The industrial doctoral landscape awards and doctoral focal awards will equip a new generation of talented researchers with the skills to drive innovation, support high-growth sectors and improve lives.”
The ENGBIO4ENV programme also includes researchers from Brunel University of London, Newcastle University, the University of Glasgow and the University of Southampton. It is further supported by the National Measurement Laboratory and the National Physical Laboratory. With global partnerships in the USA, Japan, Spain, Brazil, and Ireland, ENGBIO4ENV will enable the UK to share its expertise, adopt international best practices, and sustain its leadership in engineering biology and environmental biotechnology while applying those areas to tackle environmental challenges.
The ENGBIO4ENV doctoral focal award is supported through the UKRI Engineering Biology initiative, with the Natural Environment Research Council acting as the direct sponsoring and administering council for this award.
