Further information – John Innes Centre Trustee Director

Introduction

The JIC is an independent, world-leading centre of excellence in plant science and microbiology located on the Norwich Research Park. JIC performs cutting-edge, high quality fundamental, strategic and applied research and is one of eight BBSRC strategically funded Research Institutes.

Our Mission is ‘To generate knowledge of plants and microbes through innovative research, to apply knowledge of nature’s diversity to benefit agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, to train scientists for the future and to engage with policy makers and the public’.

The JIC is a vibrant, diverse multinational research community and our international scientific reputation is built on our commitment to excellence, as well as training and developing all our staff, our strengths in publications and research, the provision of state-of-the-art research facilities, and a high performing environment. The JIC attracts leading early career research leaders and the brightest PhD students and postdoctoral fellows with the potential to be future research leaders. Our focus on identifying, nurturing and training future research leaders is a primary driver of our scientific effectiveness. We are committed to their development and to an equal opportunities agenda that encourages all aspects of career development. JIC’s commitment to the equality agenda was recently recognised by a Silver Athena SWAN award, which recognises commitment to women’s careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Maths.

Thomson Reuters placed JIC in 2010[1], alongside The Sainsbury Lab, with which we have strong collaborations, as the world’s leading institution in plant and animal sciences based on citations of papers published over the previous decade. JIC Project Leaders are highly successful at winning external funding. As a testimony to the dynamic, supportive and collegiate working environment and to our research excellence we have among our Project Leaders five Fellows of the Royal Society, four EMBO members and four Project Leaders with civic Honours. Professor Sir David Hopwood, a JIC Emeritus Fellow, was recently named in a Society of Biology poll of influential scientists for his work on antibiotic discovery. Many of JIC scientists are members of Science Advisory Boards, Editorial Boards and on grant reviewing committees.

Science

Our core research areas are funded by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences research Council (BBSRC) and directly address the UK Governments objectives in Food Security, Human health and Industrial Biotechnology. The science is organised into four Institute Strategic Programmes (ISPs):

  1. Molecules from Nature(MfN)–Humankind is dependent on products made by plants and microbes. Plants provide our food, and the nutrients they contain are essential for our wellbeing. Plants also provide many important drugs, such as anti-cancer agents and treatments for heart conditions. Plant products have a multitude of industrial uses, for example in paints, detergents, biodegradable plastics, pesticides and skincare products. Bacteria also make many beneficial products, including medicines for life-threatening conditions. For example, soil bacteria called actinomycetes produce half of all clinically useful antibiotics.

In the MfN Institute Strategic Programme, we study how plants and microbes generate this diversity of molecules and will provide a new level of understanding of the nature, origins and functional significance of plant and microbial chemical diversity. Our results will contribute to increased, sustainable crop productivity, health-promoting diets, preventative medicines, ‘green’ industrial processes and new antibiotics.

  1. Genes in the Environment(GEN) – Crop plant yield is strongly influenced by the growing environment. Most modern crop varieties have been bred for high-input high-yield agronomic systems such that yields in optimal growing conditions are high, but these optimal conditions are not predictable over the annual growing cycle. Plant growth and development is strongly influenced by multiple environmental factors over different timescales, from rapid responses, to daily changes, through to seasonal responses and to long-term adaptations to new environments.

In the GEN Institute Strategic Programme, we study the basic biological mechanisms and the roles of genes and genetic variation in environmental responses and adaptation to challenging environments. This knowledge will provide an innovative foundation for improving the resilience of crop yield to sub-optimal growing conditions such as temperature, soil nutrients and drought.

  1. Plant Health (PH)–Plant health is pivotal to the supply of agricultural produce required to support our society, economy and the environment. Meeting current food demands is a major international challenge. The projected population increases worldwide place unprecedented pressure on agriculture to sustainably produce more, ideally more nutritious food with fewer inputs on less land.

In the PH Institute Strategic Programme, we study how plants and microbes interact, through understanding the basic principles of recognition, signalling and physiological and genetic adaptation. This knowledge will be exploited for enhancing plant health and thereby sustainable crop yield. Scientists from the Sainsbury Lab in Norwich play an integral role in this ISP.

  1. Designing Future Wheat(DFW) – Wheat is one of the most important global crops, being grown on more land than any other commercial crop, and currently providing 20% of the total calories consumed by humans worldwide. A 60% increase in the demand is expected by 2050 as the global population increases towards 10 billion. A sustainable and resilient increase in wheat yield must be achieved against a background of climate change.

Over the last five years old wheat varietieshave been exploited to create novel germplasm on which initial trait analysis has been performed. Scientists in the national Designing Future Wheat Institute Strategic Programmewill further exploit this strategy to dissect a range of traits, including those involved in drought and temperature stress, root and shoot development, crop height, inflorescence and grain architecture, seed size and architecture, root response to nutrient availability, nitrogen and nutrient usage, pathogen and pest resistance and finally the quantity and quality of starch, dietary fibre and minerals in grain.

The germplasm created, together with the tools and information required for its use, will be made available to the wider academic and breeding community in an easily accessible form, allowing ready access for UK and international plant researchers not directly working on wheat. The generation of these resources will benefit the wheat breeding industry and producers and utilisers of wheat grain in addition to other national and international crop research programmes. This programme is a partnership with National Institute of Agricultural Botany, Rothamsted Research, Earlham Institute, University of Bristol and University of Nottingham.

Governance

The John Innes Centre’s Governing Council is responsible for oversight of the management and administration of JIC’s income and expenditure, assets and liabilities. The Governing Council has responsibility for developing the long-term vision for JIC alongside the director, and oversees and reviews the management and achievements of the institute.

The Members of JIC are BBSRC, John Innes Foundation and the University of East Anglia. The Members are all guarantors of JIC, a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. The Governing Council comprises the Chair, three science and three non-science Trustees. Trustees serve for a term of three years, with the possibility of serving one extra term. The Governing Council has responsibility for the strategy of JIC, strategy that is developed under advice from the Science and Impact Advisory Board and JIC Strategy Committee. The full Governing Council meets five times a year, the Audit Committee twice a year and the Remuneration Committee once a year. Meetings are usually in Norwich at the JIC.

The JIC Audit Committee reports to the Governing Council, is chaired by a Trustee Director and is composed of persons with financial, commercial or legal expertise. The Committee is responsible for oversight of audit, financial reporting, regulatory compliance, risk management and internal systems and controls including the integrity of financial controls.

The JIC Remuneration Committee reports to the Governing Council and is composed of TrusteeDirectors withscientific or commercial expertise. The Committee is responsible for recommendations to the Governing Council on remuneration matters.

The Scienceand Impact Advisory Board(SIAB) is comprised of internationally renowned scientists and reviews and supports the development of the scientificvision and strategy of the JIC. SIABis chaired by a Trustee Director and reports to theGoverning Council on the appropriateness of JIC’s science programmes in relation toJIC’sMission.

JIC gained independence from the BBSRC on 1st October 2011. Staff are either on BBSRC or Institute Terms and Conditions.

The Role

Trustee Directors are expected to:

  • deploy their knowledge and experience to further JIC’sinterests;
  • act as a representative for JIC in the scientific and commercial arenas especially with keystakeholders;
  • provide guidance on theprogress and policies of the organisation;
  • perform relevant duties in the best interests of thecharitable purposes of JIC.

The successful applicant will be:

  • a highly regarded and successful person with an interest in JIC’s science vision, mission and strategy;
  • able to advise on organisational best practice and progressive policies;
  • a strategic and creative thinker;
  • have experience as a member of an executive or non-executive boardor committee;
  • and, if a scientist, recognised in the UK and internationally as a leader in their field.

Applicants should be sensitive to the demands of trusteeship, including the need toobserve the principles of public life.

The Duties and Responsibilities of Trustees

The responsibilities of Trustee Directors at JIC are those common to all charities. These are individually and collectively to:

  • uphold the fiduciary duty invested in the role of trustee;
  • ensure that the organisation complies with its governing document, charity law,company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations;
  • ensure that the organisation pursues its objects as defined in its governingdocument, and always acts in its best interests;
  • ensure that the organisation uses its resources exclusively in furtherance of itscharitable purposes;
  • exercise their duty of care, using their professional skills where appropriate and/ortaking appropriate professional advice in all matters where there may be material riskto the charity;
  • ensure sound financial management and the long term stability of the organisation, the protection and management of the charity’s property, and the proper investment of the charity’s funds;
  • contribute to the Governing Councils’ role in agreeing strategy, policy, theorganisational budget;
  • evaluateJIC’s performance, andsupport the Director and senior staff in the implementation of JIC’s strategies and polices;
  • safeguard the organisation’s reputation and values and to understand, becommitted to, and promote its objectives;
  • avoid any personal conflicts of interest and to observe the organisation’s conflict ofinterests policy;
  • prepare for and participate in Governing Council meetings and contribute to decisionmaking at such meetings;
  • support colleagues on the Governing Council in carrying out their duties and use any specificknowledge/experience to help the Governing Council reach sound decisions;
  • ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation;
  • observe fully the Trustee Code of Conduct, participating actively in systems forperformance review and continually strive for the highest standards of governance.

Trustees should expect to spend a minimum of 5 days per year on JIC business. Trustees are expected totravel to Governing Council meetings as required. In the initial stages, visits to JIC will be arrangedin order to meet with staff and key stakeholders.

The positions are voluntary, but expenses are reimbursed. All expenses incurred on JIC business will be paid for or refunded on completion of an expense form.

New appointees will receive an induction to JIC, the role of a Trustee Director, JIC’sorganisation, operations, science vision and strategy.

Application Process

To make an application please send your CV and a personal statement saying whyyou should be selected as a Trustee Director of JIC.

The CV should consist of no more than two sides of A4. A format that you might adopt would contain a personal profile, key skills, achievements, a summary of your career history, education and training and other interests.Similarly, we suggest the personal statement to support your application beno more than two sides of A4.

You will find it useful to have a look at our website before applying.You may also find the Charity Commission websiteuseful.

Closing Date

The closing date for applications is 31stMay 2017. All applications will beacknowledged.

[1]Top institutions in plant and animal sciences | General | Times Higher Education