DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

Departmental Research Committee

Minutes of Meeting held on Thursday 19th January 2012

Present: Neil Bruce (NCB), Deborah Smith (DFS), John Pillmoor (JBP), James Fox, (JB), Chris Thomas (CDT), Michelle Squires (MS), Will Brackenbury (WB), James Chong (JC), Jon Pitchford (JP)

Jane McCarthy in attendance

Action
12/01 / Apologies for absence
Apologies were received from Paul Kaye, Jennifer Potts and Leo Caves. NCB welcomed Jon Pitchford, James Chong and James Fox to their first meeting and added that Jennifer Potts had agreed to become Deputy Chair of DRC.
12/02 / Minutes of the last meeting of 17th November 2011
These were agreed.
12/03 / Matters arising
.
From minute 11/48 Consumables tax
NCB to follow up with MS.
From minute 11/50 Pump priming reports
NCB said that he would inform staff at the next academic staff meeting of Research Committee’s decision not to allow staff to apply for funding for one year if reports were not submitted on time.
From minute 11/52 RCUK success rates
NCB reported that the grant success rate for the first six months of 2011 looked very promising. NCB also reported that the Peer Review College system would be looked at later in the year and that Jane Hill and Chris Thomas would cover the Ecology and Evolution area in Alastair Fitter’s absence. / NCB/MS
NCB
12/04 / TF Report
JBP gave the following updates:
1 The internal laser on the phosphorimager had failed and the outlook was not promising. The value of the grants dependent on the equipment had not yet been ascertained, JBP to do this and report back. NCB suggested that a new instrument could be requested on a research grant application, JBP to make users aware of this. NCB also suggested looking out for a second hand machine. JBP to look at all options.
2 Outline proposals are being developed to seek strategic funding
for a general refresh of the TF equipment ten years after its
formation. This was discussed at the recent MTP meeting, JBP and
MS to discuss how to take this forward.
3 The TF budget was ahead but this included a number of up front payments.
4 Fera had recently been in contact regarding work involving a tobacco company. The Biology Ethics Committee concluded that this work should not be undertaken. It was agreed that an exclusion statement should be included as part of the quote system. / JBP
JBP/MS
12/05 / Review of the Technology Facility
NCB reported that a review of the Technology Facility had taken place in September. The review panel had consisted of three external members plus Harv Isaacs and NCB and they had recommended five key areas for consideration. After discussion the following points were noted.
1 The TF should be congratulated on the positive outcome of the Review. Overall, the reports on the facility as a whole and the individual labs were excellent but there are some issues which need to be resolved as a matter of some urgency.
2 Communication and service need to be improved in some of the labs and it was agreed that this should be addressed as a matter of priority. Engagement with users was key, and it was agreed that users should get together to share their thoughts and jointly develop a plan of action. JBP to take this forward.
3 A review of the policy on protocols, SOPs, sample tracking and storage need to be implemented as soon as possible.
4 Interaction with Chemistry is important. It was agreed to discuss this with Jennifer Potts as she is aware of how Chemistry works. It was also agreed to send the report to Richard Taylor and Tony Wilkinson for their comments then take to Biology Chemistry Planning Group.
5 Peter Ashton was still covering Genomics and it was agreed that he would be asked to continue to do so for the next two years as it is working well and because Naveed Aziz’s post is frozen for the foreseeable future due to financial constraints. This would be looked at again should the financial situation change and a decision made within the next two years. The two new posts that had been created in Bioinformatics from ISSF funding to be line managed by Peter, along with the Fera sponsored bioinformatics post, have completely changed the bioinformatics landscape for the better and make the combined running of the Genomics and Bioinformatics labs by Peter more realistic. It was agreed to review the bioinformatics needs after a year to allow these new positions to bed in.
6 A Technology Facility Strategy Board should be formed as a means of engaging with the department and the remit decided on. It was suggested that PRC members should be on the Board, NCB and JBP to discuss this and report back then take to the next Academic staff meeting. DFS added that the Board needed to look at the
Department’s strategy and ensure that the TF strategy fits with this.
7 It was agreed to make the report available on the web but remove specific comments relating to individuals after the report had been considered by DSG.
DFS added that teaching issues relevant to the BT Masters were being looked at by the Graduate Board.
DFS concluded that the TF was an excellent facility and recruitment tool which impressed visitors to the Department. / JBP
JBP
JBP
NCB/JBP
JBP
12/06 / Minutes of the Biological Services Facility Users Group meeting held on 8th November 2011
In PMK’s absence, DFS reported that a top quality appointment had
been made for the post of BSF Manager to start mid February.
12/07 / Minutes of the Biology Enterprise Group meeting held on 5th December 2011
JBP reported that Jim Walsh had now taken up the post of BDM Bioscience and had attended his first Biology Enterprise Group meeting.
12/08 / Revised Mechanical Workshop equipment application
NCB reported that a revised application had been received with input from Dawn Cartwright. It was agreed that the workshop was very important to the Department and that the bid should be supported. External funding could not be sought and it was agreed to fully fund. JM to inform Mark Bentley of the decision. / JM
12/09 / Pump priming and paper completion reports from December 2010
These were discussed.
12/10 / Pump priming and paper completion updates from May 2011
These were discussed.
DFS said that a standard pro forma should be produced for these reports, NCB to do this. / NCB
12/11 / Matched equipment funding for research council grant applications
NCB reported that the rules for funding of equipment by Research Councils had changed and extra justification and matched funding from the institution was now required for individual items of capital equipmentover £10,000. It had now been confirmed that the University would not provide funds for this and that it would be the responsibility of the Department. The following actions were agreed:
1 Changes to MTP were required to include equipment funds. MS to
look at this and report back to the next meeting.
2 Staff to be informed that matched funding was available should they wish to apply for equipment.
3 Processes and timelines to be established.
4 A question regarding matched funding on RC grants to be added to the PRC form. / MS
NCB
NCB/MS
NCB
12/12 / Suggested changes to the Postdoc summer student scheme
WB reported that following feedback from previous years’ schemes, changes had been made to the application form. It was agreed that the new form was excellent but should not include degree details and the recent publications section should be changed to merely publications. JF to do this. The changes to the website were also agreed as was the inclusion of the scheme details in postdoc job adverts. JF to take this forward with Nina Pirozek. The call for applications was to go out in the next few days. / JF
12/13 / Postdoc contact website
It was agreed that postdoc details should be included on the Biology website. JF to raise this at the next postdoc meeting and decide on a standard format then JC to take forward. / JF/JC
12/14 / Any other business
There was no other business.
12/15 / Next meeting
The next meeting of Research Committee will take place at 9.30am on Thursday 15th March 2012 in room K126.