b'The NBIC Doctoral Training CentreBRINGING TOGETHER RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIPThe NBIC Doctoral Training Centre in BiofilmsBy combining the expertise of four core universities, the Innovation, Technology and Engineering (BITE) wasDoctoral Training Centre provides the synergy, critical established in early 2019. It is a world-class integratedmass, and the breadth and depth required to deliver pipeline of interdisciplinary training, involving aan ambitious training programme in biofilm science, partnership between the universities of Edinburgh,engineering and technology.Liverpool, Nottingham and Southampton, alongsideAREAS OF SPECIALISMSinternational institutes and industry partners. It is theUniversity of Edinburgh Soft and Active Matter Biological UKs first graduate training centre to address the skillsPhysics; Complex Fluids and Rheology; HPC Modelling; and knowledge gap in the biofilm field. The first cohortBiofilms Architecture; Synthetic and Systems Biology.of 12 students started in October 2019. A further cohort of 8 BITE students joined in 2020-2021; while NBIC hasUniversity of Liverpool Functional Surfaces; Materials; just awarded its first round of CTP2 studentship, whichSmart Nanotechnology; Plasma Engineering; Imaging; will bring 8 more PhD candidates to join the BITE centreOmics and Bioinformatics; Microbiorefinery; Infection in 2022. The CTP2 programme is expected to bring in aControl; Modelling for Healthcare.further 22 students in the following 4 years.University of Nottingham Quorum Sensing and The Doctoral Training Centre draws on over 70 academicSignalling; Molecular Recognition; Drug Discovery; supervisors from physical, mathematical, engineering,Polymer Discovery; Biomedical Engineering; AMR; life and clinical sciences within the partner researchModelling; Synthetic Biology; Advanced Microscopy. institutions to provide a unique, multidisciplinary and inter-sectorial training experience to the next generationUniversity of Southampton Microbial Ecology and of research leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs,Evolution; AMR; Hybrid Biodevices; Nanoelectronic and to deliver breakthrough science and technologiesPhotonic Devices; Bioenergy.in this field. Graduates are supported to developNBIC-CTP EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND broad innovation horizons and seamlessly transitionINCLUSION STRATEGYfrom research into technology and impact arenas.The NBIC-CTP Equality, Diversity and Inclusion action plan Entrepreneurship Bootcamps are also offered, withwas highly praised by the BBSRC review panel as excellent the most promising commercial projects progressed toand should be showcased as an example of best practice. the ICURe accelerator programme, part of SETsquared,NBIC intends to share the action plan with partnering which is currently rated as the worlds best universityresearch organisations, especially the BITE programme business incubator. We also partner with Alderley Parkpartners, to promote accessibility of PhD candidates and and their Accelerator Programme, to provide bespokeprotect their physical and mental wellbeing.entrepreneurial training to our students. QUOTES FROM BITE PHD STUDENTSThe Doctoral Training Centre provides a unique and diverse environment to students, with opportunities I believe that the most exciting part of the to network with experts in other disciplines, engage inBITE programme is the possibility to learn peer-to-peer learning and participate in collaborativeand develop transferable skills and share this problem solving, as well as partake in student exchangesexperience with a group of fantastic PhDs.with international centres of excellence, attend summerschools, joint-nature conferences, and secondments and I was positively surprised by the ICURe masterclasses showcasing frontier thinking. Innovation-to-commercialisation programme. I really enjoyed this training, which helped me see the potentiality of my project and the steps I should take for its commercialisation. I believe that it is not common to have the opportunity to access courses about entrepreneurship, and hence, I was really grateful for that.38'