The Technician Commitment ran a third round of the Technician Commitment Collaboration Fund in 2023, providing small grants (up to £1000) to Technician Commitment signatory institutions to stimulate and enable collaborative projects that further the aims of the Technician Commitment.
The scheme was open to all Technician Commitment signatory institutions and funding was awarded on a competitive basis, with nine projects completed in 2023. As a condition of funding, successful applicants are required to produce a short report outlining the activities undertaken and the outputs, outcomes and impact of the project. We are always delighted to see what has been achieved through this funding and here are some of the highlights.
In an innovative research project called 'The technicalities of cocoa', engineers from Falmouth University worked with chocolate company Rio Nuevo. The technicians used the funding to buy materials and create prototypes of equipment used to ferment cocoa beans. It was an excellent example of how the university could encourage local businesses to work with technical staff, and this pilot has set the scene for future knowledge exchange projects.
The John Innes Centre hosts an annual accessible science event and, in 2023, it extended participation to three other institutes (The Sainsbury Laboratory, Earlham Institute and Quadram Institute Biosciences) and enabled local T-level students to attend. Schools and universities were able to register online to take part and the event was recorded and is available on YouTube as a resource for schools and universities.
Three of the applications hosted technician-led conferences. The Babraham Institute used the funding to support their 2nd Animal Technician Conference. This was attended by over 200 technicians to support their career development and covered animal care from alpacas to worms. The University of Canterbury used the funding for their Kent Technician Network Symposium, which was attended by 54 staff from three universities, and the University of Exeter held a technician conference which was attended by 125 technicians and focused on improving confidence. One of the requirements of the Collaboration Fund is that recipients must consider the sustainability of the initiatives, and all of these events will be repeated in 2024 with support from alternative source.
The Royal Microscopical Society and BioImaging UK ran a job shadowing scheme open to academics to work with technicians in imaging and flow cytometry facilities. The placements lasted five days and took place at the University of Glasgow, Brunel University and the Francis Crick Institute. The visits increased the researchers' confidence in the techniques and established trusted working relationships for future exchanges and visits.
Three projects supported regional technical networks. The fund supported the Eastern Academic Research Consortium (EARC) to set up a technician-focused network, the South and Southwest Technician Network to hold joint meetings, and the Northern Ireland Universities to work together on a joint action plan and working group. Over the past seven years, many regional networks have been supported by the Technician Commitment and the team will look to map these networks and ensure that all technicians have access to local initiatives and events.
Look out for the announcement of the successful 2024 Collaboration Fund recipients. The 2025 Technician Commitment Collaboration Fund will open for applications in December 2024.
