Dr Shirley Keeton, University of Reading
Bring in the bigger brains
Bring in the bigger brains - research scheme for students and early career researchers to work on research challenges in multidisciplinary teams, consulting senior academic staff
This idea will assemble a multidisciplinary team of undergraduate and postgraduate students (drawn from biology, chemistry, systems engineering, business studies, and mathematics) to address a significant biological issue such as combating antibiotic resistance. It will empower the group to recruit in academic staff from across the university to act as consultants to the project based on the merit of their ideas. The student group leads, runs and delivers the project. Academic sign up in advance would be agreed at a school and department level. This project inverts the usual hierarchical structure, empowering students who have excellent and innovative ideas to explore solution options whilst using the great academic expertise available to inform and progress the project.