HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND — An initiative to improve female representation in wheat research received funding from the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), expanding an existing program across additional organizations.

The effort toward gender parity in the UK wheat community is being led by the John Innes Centre (JIC) with Rothamsted Research and The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL).

The 12-month project builds on the Rosalind Franklin Women in Wheat Champions program, led by Professor Diane Saunders at JIC, which was established to address the lack of female representation in wheat research in academia.

The new funding will allow the program to be expanded across organizations within one of the largest coordinated wheat research programs in the UK, the Delivering Sustainable Wheat (DSW) Strategic Programme.

“It is fantastic to see this new investment,” Saunders said. “Wheat is a critical staple crop worldwide and protecting wheat yields is crucial for global food security and economic stability. It is only by cultivating a diverse research community that we can truly harness the diversity in scientific thinking needed to achieve a wheat secure future.”

Dr. Kim Hammond-Kosack, a research discovery fellow based at Rothamsted and leader of the Delivering Resistance element of the DSW program, said there is tremendous talent emerging in female wheat early career researchers and doctoral students across multiple UK institutes and universities.

“Now is the time to ensure we give this next generation the very best chance of career progression into senior positions and independence within wheat research,” Hammond-Kosack said. “Giving voices to diversity is the only way to achieve real innovation in this sector.”   

Female wheat researchers across the UK will benefit from digitized access to the career development training courses previously developed by JIC/TSL and a one-to-one mentoring program.