BBSRC Funding to Host UK Plant and Crop Phenotyping Infrastructure (UKPCPI) Scoping Activity

Funding available funding to host the UK plant and crop phenotyping infrastructure (UKPCPI) scoping activity.

BBSRC has secured £2.4 million to undertake a scoping activity in plant and crop phenotyping to de-risk potential future investment in a national infrastructure for plant and crop phenotyping.

This will take advantage of the diverse expertise, facilities and variety of field sites (with differing soil and environmental conditions) across the UK. It will support the development of testbeds for trialling new plant and crop varieties, including higher yield varieties, climate resistant varieties, and testing response to pathogens.

The aims and objectives for the UKPCPI scoping activity are to:

• Assess the feasibility of a mechanism for national plant and crop phenotyping facility access (the trial scheme should be based on the successful European Plant Phenotyping Network (EPPN) Transnational Access model, or similar)
• Pilot proof-of-concept digital infrastructure to address current phenotyping data management and analysis limitations, thus enabling FAIR data access to collaborators
• Coordinate the UK plant and crop phenotyping community and prepare for a UK EMPHASIS node as identified in the ‘UK’s research and innovation infrastructure: opportunities to grow our capability’ report
• Demonstrate an increase in novel, multidisciplinary approaches to phenotyping and associated advanced technology development by broadening the efforts of the UK Research and Innovation funded Technology Touching Life project PhenomUK
• Increase community engagement with industry to exploit the potential to contribute to the bioeconomy, through the development, commercialisation, and industrial uptake of new knowledge, methods, and technology

Applicants will need to demonstrate how they will deliver against each of these aims and objectives.