UKRI UoN Visit
The office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Research Innovation and Enterprise (DVC RIE) hosted three (3) staff from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) who were in Kenya under staff exchange programme on the 29th of January 2020. The three were Gabrielle Newson, Senior Project Manager- Future Leaders Fellowships of Innovate UK, Nick Cooper, Senior Portfolio Manager Manufacturing & Amp- Circular Economy, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Frances Medaney, Senior Programme Manager- Global Challenges of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). They were accompanied by KENIA technical officer Dr. Gideon Kivengea.
Kenya partners with UK under Newton Utafiti Fund Programme. The staff were interested in understanding various aspects of Research and Innovation ecosystem within Kenyan institutions.
Gabrielle Newson deals with a broad range of businesses across the UK to promote engagement with the Fellowship Scheme, ensuring innovative businesses can benefit from on the grant funding on offer. She hoped to see more businesses involved in the Future Leaders Fellowships scheme, building and fostering relationships between academia and business, turning innovative ideas and ambition into commercial success and business growth, all whilst developing the high talented leaders of tomorrow. Gabrielle is a keen advocate for people led innovation within business, and also works on Innovation Talent and Skills within Innovate UK.
Nick Cooper works in EPSRC’s Circular Economy and Manufacturing the Future teams. He deals with a number of interdisciplinary research programmes, all related to how we sustainably manufacture, use and recycle materials and other resources, including plastics. These programmes produce technological solutions (e.g. new materials, new manufacturing methods, recycling improvements), as well as researching environmental impacts, and behavioural interventions that improve sustainability. Nick also works on other programmes related to air quality and how to build resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Frances Medaney joined UKRI BBSRC in 2017 as Programme Manager for the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). She works alongside colleagues across BBSRC and UKRI to design and deliver BBSRC’s programmes through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). This is a very varied job, as BBSRC has taken a broad approach to its GCRF funding. Medaney worked to deliver programmes across the BBSRC remit, including: agriculture and food security, food nutrition and health, industrial biotechnology and bioenergy, as well as research translation and training and skills programmes. She work closely with colleagues in the Newton Fund team here in BBSRC, said that she was excited by the opportunity to visit our Newton Fund partners in Kenya.
The visitors were around for the whole week and the Wednesday visit to UoN was scheduled for issues touching on innovation, technology transfer, innovation commercialization and entrepreneurship.
