23-BIUK - Strategic funding for BioImagingUK
Lead Research Organisation:
King's College London
Department Name: Randall Div of Cell and Molecular Biophy
Abstract
BioImagingUK is the only national bioimaging network and plays a unique role in bringing together researchers and RTPs from across imaging domains to develop collaborations, strategic priorities, discuss challenges, opportunities and co-create solutions. We work in close partnership with UKRI and other stakeholders/funders to ensure co-ordination and continuous exchange of information to and from the community. BioImagingUK has delivered signficant and impactful outcomes across all domains for the community over the past funding period. The current proposal aims to build on our success and develop new initiatives to support imaging scientists, help with career development and enhance imaging infrastructure within the UK.
Technical Summary
BioImagingUK has served a critical function in co-ordinating the community for over a decade. Network activity has accelerated over the past 4 years, especially through partnership with the RMS, which has extended our reach in convening community meetings, providing mentorship and RTP career development opportunities, supporting new collaborations, delivering funds and liaising with UKRI and other stakeholders. Continuation of the funding for the BioImagingUK Network Manager will be critical to enable us to build on this momentum to increase connectivity between biological and biomedical imaging domains, create opportunities for academic-industry partnering, support RTP and data scientist career development and develop learning resources for the community. We anticipate additionally drawing in new members from the spatial 'omics and associated bioinformatics community to enable broader conversations to happen across these currently siloed domains. This will drive new innovations and accelerate technology and data science solutions to understanding biology across scales.
Publications
| Description | Building a national imaging data stewardship skills base (BioImagingUK) |
| Amount | £423,789 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | APP50582 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2024 |
| End | 09/2027 |
| Description | Enhancing equality, diversity and inclusion in BBSRC-funded networks |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2024 |
| End | 09/2025 |
| Description | Open Software Tools to Accelerate Adoption of OME-Zarr (BioImagingUK)' to opportunity OPP630: "Digital infrastructure: new approaches to skills or software |
| Amount | £200,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2024 |
| End | 03/2025 |
| Description | Organisation and presentation at the 2024 in-person BioImagingUK Community Meeting at the Francis Crick |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Georgina Fletcher (BioImagingUK Project Officer) organised this full day in-person meeting, including a morning workshop on core facility user engagement and an afternoon session that was split into 3 shorter sessions on UK Funders, Career paths, and Community engagement. GF presented an update of BioImagingUK Network activities finishing the day with networking drinks reception. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.rms.org.uk/community/networks-affiliates/bioimaginguk-network/meetings-and-workshops/bio... |
| Description | Panel member on a Software Sustainability Institute Career Panel Event aimed at technicians |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The panel discussion at the Research Software Camp: Skills for Research Technical Staff explored the current challenges and gaps in training and skills around following specific technical staff career pathways in universities in the UK. Each panellist spoke about their own career pathway, discuss their role, skills needed and what training is currently available (or missing). There was also a discussion around what is currently being done in terms of better recognising the contributions from technical staff, as well the inclusivity and recognition of technical-related roles in research and science, and the challenges in following a specific career pathway. We discussed initiatives such as the Technicians Commitment and the Hidden REF, whose part of work focusses onthe recognition of non-academic roles in Universities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009,2024 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/recognition-and-challenges-in-technical-staff-career-pathways-tickets... |
| Description | Presentation about EDI at the Cardiff Electron Microscopy Network Event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Georgina Fletcher (BioImagingUK Project Officer) was invited to present on how the BioImagingUK network is striving for inclusion and diversity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2024 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cardiff-university-electron-microscopy-network-meeting-tickets-908110... |
| Description | Presentation about the RMS and power of networks |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Georgina Fletcher (BioImagingUK Project Officer) was invited to present at the Spanish and Portuguese Optical Microscopy Meeting in Toldeo about the RMS and BioImagingUK. She discussed the aims and activities of the RMS, an international microscopy society that began in 1839, as well as the more recent UK bioimaging community network, BioImagingUK. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| URL | https://spaom2024.org/ |
| Description | Presentation at the 2025 UK Light Microscopy Facility Meeting at the University of Bristol |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Georgina Fletcher (BioImagingUK Project Officer) presented an update of BioImagingUK Network activities at the UK Light Microscopy Facility Meeting at the University of Bristol. This had the dual outcome of reaching new people and informing current network members of our activities over the last year (2024) and our future plans (2025). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.rms.org.uk/rms-event-calendar/2025-events/uk-light-microscopy-facility-meeting-2025.html |
| Description | Presentation on EDI at the Microscopy Society Ireland Symposium 2025 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Georgina Fletcher (BioImagingUK Project Officer) was invited to present at the MSI Symposium in Dublin about enhancing EDI in BioImagingUK. She discussed the aims and activities of the recent funding BioImagingUK was awarded by UKRI-BBSRC on EDI. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://microscopy.ie/symposium2025/ |