Appointment of Trustees Babraham Institute
Contents Background 2 The Babraham Institute
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Research 5 Achieving impact Babraham Institute subsidiary companies Governance and management
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BBSRC and UK Research and Innovation
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Role and person specification
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Terms and conditions of appointment
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Appointment process
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Background The Babraham Institute is an independent research institute conducting internationally recognised research in basic cell and molecular biology with a focus upon the study of lifelong health and wellbeing. One of eight institutes strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Babraham Institute is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. Certain activities of the Charity must be approved by the Charity’s members. The Babraham Institute has three members: the BBSRC as a Corporate Member, the Chair of the Board of Trustees and the Chair of the Audit Committee. The Babraham Institute Board of Trustees has specific responsibilities under the BBSRC Conditions of Grant. It is responsible for the financial management and administration of the Institute and ensures that the Charity is acting within its Memorandum and Articles of Association. Ultimately, the Board has responsibility for developing the strategy for the Institute alongside the Director, and oversees and reviews the management and achievements of the Institute. The Board is now seeking to appoint new Trustees to replace those who will be stepping down at the end of their tenure in 2020 and 2021. In addition to supporting the Director as an independent voice, the Board will provide an appropriate balance of complementarity and challenge, together with new perspectives. Trustees will have both the relevant expertise and the leadership skills to work with the Director to steer the Institute and the personal gravitas to be able to act as positive ambassadors across a variety of different situations. New Trustees will include both eminent scientists with an ability to contribute to the ongoing strategic development of the Institute and persons with relevant senior experience in other fields e.g. legal or professional services.
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The Babraham Institute Life sciences research for lifelong health
The Babraham Institute evolved from the pre-existing Institute of Animal Physiology, established during the immediate post-war years to study animal physiology with the aim of improving the efficiency of food production. In 1993, the Babraham Institute phased out research on agricultural animals and its major focus shifted to understanding the biology underpinning development and lifelong health. The Institute has a history of research excellence including the pivotal discoveries of liposomes in the 1960s, and of genomic imprinting in mammals in the 1980s. Pioneering work in the 1980s and 1990s on PI3-kinase enzymes and signalling pathways and its continuation at the Institute today has led to long-term commercial collaborations and global impact in terms of understanding cell growth and survival. This has included the development of the PI3K delta inhibitor drug Idelalisib (Zydelig) as a treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. The discovery of global epigenetic reprogramming in mammalian development has resulted in new approaches to stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. 3
The Babraham Institute There are approximately 330 staff working in the Institute, including 23 research group leaders. The Institute holds a silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advancing the representation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and has its own equality and diversity programme to ensure an inclusive and diverse culture.
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Research Today, the Institute continues to undertake cutting-edge research to push the boundaries of what we know about biology. Our three Institute Strategic Programmes (ISPs) are united in this endeavour, sharing expertise and collaborating in areas of synergy. The Signalling ISP aims to understand the molecular and systems levels principles by which cells and organisms sense and adapt to challenges such as nutrient shortage or excess, infection, ageing and damage. Current work is built around long-term strengths in PI3K, Rac-GTPase and ERK/DYRK signalling and lipidomics.
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The Epigenetics ISP focuses on how reversible chemical modifications of our DNA and chromatin control access to the information stored within our genomes. The Lymphocyte Signalling and Development ISP investigates how cells of the immune system develop and function, allowing us to resist infection and maintain homeostasis throughout life. The work underpins important practical applications in maintaining lifelong health.
Achieving impact In the 2012-2017 period of strategic funding, the Institute published over 550 articles with over 14,000 citations. Alongside our internationally recognised research, nine cutting-edge scientific facilities (bioinformatics, animal unit, flow cytometry, imaging, mass spectrometry, lipidomics, sequencing, biological chemistry and gene targeting). In addition to supporting the Institute’s research, these are made available to companies on the Babraham Research Campus and the external research community. The Institute’s annual income in 2019 was £27.1M. Around a third of this (£9.7M) came from BBSRC as core ISP grants and non-grant income. This was matched by competitively awarded grants, and commercial use of the Institute’s facilities and services provided around £6.8M. The Institute’s research, expertise and facilities aim to achieve the following outcomes:
n To advance knowledge of biology in order to secure and maintain health throughout life; n To make discoveries that improve the quality of life for people around the world; n To develop innovative research technologies that advance the field and provide new insights; n To build on our foundational research by working with others to secure translation of our discoveries; n To provide excellent training for existing and future researchers, addressing the demand for skilled researchers in the bioscience sectors and respecting equality and diversity in all our activities; n To share our expertise with relevant stakeholders, including academia, industry and policymakers, to ensure that policies and healthcare practices are developed using the latest scientific findings; and n To develop a two-way relationship with the public, being open and transparent about our research by engaging people of all ages and backgrounds in order to align societal expectations with the process and outcomes of scientific research.
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Achieving impact
The Institute is an active part of the Cambridge bioscience cluster, formed by the concentration of world-leading research institutes such as the University of Cambridge, Wellcome Sanger Institute and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, the Cambridge Biomedical Campus based around Addenbrooke’s Hospital,
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global pharma (AstraZeneca, GSK and Pfizer) and a diverse range of smaller pharmaceutical and medical biotech companies. Within Europe, the Institute is part of the EU-LIFE alliance of 15 research centres that work together to strengthen European research excellence.
Babraham Institute subsidiary companies The Babraham Institute is committed to promoting the translation of research via national and international collaborations with academics, clinicians and industry. A distinct organisation, Babraham Institute Enterprises Ltd. (BIE), exists to support the delivery of commercialisation of the Institute’s science through managing the Institute’s intellectual property, facilitating interactions between Institute researchers and industry, and arranging access to the Institute’s scientific expertise and facilities. BIE income in 2018/19 was over £1.4M. BIE and the Institute currently work with over 67 industry partners including both large pharmaceutical companies and smaller and medium sized biotechs, many of which are located on the Babraham Research Campus (BRC).
and 25% shareholder. The campus provides bespoke accommodation for bioventures at any stage in the business development cycle and supports the full spectrum of science from R&D to commercial realisation. The Institute operates an active programme of knowledge exchange with a particular focus on developing relationships with campus companies.
Babraham Institute Enterprise
Babraham Institute is located within the BRC alongside over 65 commercial companies. The campus has flourished since being established as a bioincubator model founded by the Institute in 1998 and has received significant investment from the BBSRC over the course of its development. Recognised as a worldleading bioincubator site, the campus is now managed and developed by Babraham Bioscience Technologies Ltd. (BBT) and promotes innovation across the academic and commercial sectors. BBT is the majority owned (75%) subsidiary company of the Institute while the BBSRC is the landlord
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Governance and management
The Babraham Institute Board of Trustees is responsible for the management and administration of the Institute’s income and expenditure, assets and liabilities, for the terms and conditions of employment for new staff as well as for the conduct of the Institute’s affairs in accordance with its Memorandum and Articles of Association and charitable status. It is also responsible for satisfying the BBSRC’s Conditions of Grant as set out in the Institute Grant Agreement.
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The Board of Trustees The Institute Board comprises the Chair and at least six Trustees/Directors (currently eight). The Board meets five times a year. Trustee/Directors will normally serve for three years with a further three years if agreed by the Board. The Board has responsibility for: n working with the Director on the development, approval and implementation of the long-term vision for the Institute;
n supporting the Director in the furthering of the Institute’s mission, aims and objectives; n monitoring the Institute’s performance, management and administration; n administering and being accountable for Institute funds in accordance with BBSRC Conditions of Grant and ensuring compliance with statutory requirements; n reviewing and monitoring the quality and relevance of the Institute’s work;
n ensuring an appropriate balance and synergy between the core, strategic and other research programmes; and n ensuring risks are properly managed. The Board may establish subcommittees and as a minimum will maintain a Science and Impact Advisory Committee (SIAC) and a Joint Audit Committee. The Science and Impact Advisory Committee The Science and Impact Advisory Committee provides advice and guidance to the Board on all aspects of the Institute’s science programme, including helping to plan future research activities, assessing progress, and identifying new opportunities. SIAC is made up of eminent scientists with expertise in areas of science relevant to those of the Institute. The Chair of SIAC also sits as a Trustee on the main Board. Joint Audit Committee The Joint Audit Committee assists the Board in overseeing financial and risk management, treasury management, statutory and management accounts and internal/external audit of the Babraham Group. It acts as a quasifinance committee in addition to its conventional audit role. The Chair of the Joint Audit Committee is also a Member of the Institute.
Day-to-day management of the Institute Day-to-day management of the Institute is the responsibility of the Director, supported by the three Institute Strategic Programme (ISP) Leaders and the Chief Operating Officer. The Strategy Group, which includes the Director, the ISP Leaders, the Head of Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation, and the Group Finance Director/Operations Director, meets at regular intervals. This is the central management committee for the Institute, overseeing strategic planning and management of the science and the site. To complement this group the Babraham Executive Committee (BEC) meets on a monthly basis to monitor operational and business performance, and to ensure scientific activities across the campus are appropriately supported and resourced. This expanded committee includes senior scientists, and operational and corporate service heads. Its remit includes consideration of:
n Operations n Finance n Campus n Human Resources (including recruitment) n Knowledge management n Biological Support Unit (BSU) n Engineering n Security n Knowledge Exchange & Commercialisation (KEC) n Health & Safety n Graduate & Post Doctorate education n Grant & Fellowship applications n Internal & external communications n Stakeholder relations
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BBSRC and UK Research and Innovation BBSRC’s mission is: n To promote and support highquality basic, strategic and applied research and postgraduate training relating to the understanding and exploitation of biological systems; and n To advance knowledge and technology (including the promotion and support of the exploitation of research outcomes), and provide trained scientists and engineers, which meet the needs of users and beneficiaries (including the agriculture, bioprocessing, chemical, food, healthcare, pharmaceutical and other biotechnological related industries), thereby contributing to the economic competitiveness of the United Kingdom and the quality of life.
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In 2019-2020, BBSRC invested £451 million in world-class bioscience. BBSRC funding supports around 1,600 scientists and 2,000 research students in universities and institutes across the UK. BBSRC is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), a body established in 2018 which works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities, and government to create the best possible environment
for research and innovation to flourish. Operating across the whole of the UK with a combined budget of more than £7 billion, UKRI brings together the seven Research Councils, Innovate UK and Research England. UKRI is a nondepartmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government.
Role and person specification The Babraham Institute Board of Trustees works closely with the Director to lead the Institute. The Board has collective responsibility for ensuring the Institute achieves its strategic objectives and holds overall responsibility for its direction and management. Candidates must demonstrate relevant experience in the following areas: Standing, Experience and Commitment n experience as a non-executive of a significant body with a full understanding of the legal duties and responsibilities of Trustee Directors; n sound appreciation of the role of research through knowledge transfer into innovative applications, technologies and policies. Knowledge of the research funding environment in the UK would be beneficial;
n for scientific Trustees, new members of the Board will be leading scientists of exceptional international calibre in a relevant scientific discipline;
n empathy towards and understanding of the mission and goals of the Institute, together with the ability and commitment to promote it to a variety of different stakeholders across the private and public sectors;
n able to assist the Institute Director and optimise their varying skills sets and experience, having a full appreciation of the proper separation between governance and executive management;
n demonstrate the highest level of personal and professional integrity, independence of mind and impartiality; n ability to give the required time, energy and dedication;
Governance
n maintain effective relationships with the Corporate Member and sponsors; n oversee and, where appropriate, participate in the effective input and impact of sub committees;
Leadership and Strategic Direction n provide advice and guidance to the Director in the development and implementation of the strategic vision for the Institute; able to provide oversight and challenge whilst working in a spirit of cooperation; Organisational and Financial Management n have a sound understanding of efficient organisational management practices, with recognition of the importance of effective and pro-active human resource strategies; n ideally, have a strong business orientation and a commercial understanding of the economics of research. 12
Terms and conditions of appointment This is a part-time non-executive appointment which is unremunerated. Reasonable travel expenses associated with the role are reimbursed. It is anticipated that the time commitment will be between 5-8 days per annum including Board meetings. There will be five Board meetings per year. Board meetings are usually held at the Institute. There could also be the need to undertake some travel in the context of representational or other functions.
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The appointment would be for an initial term of three years with the possibility of extension for a further three years. The Babraham Institute is committed to promoting and developing a culture of excellence, diversity and mutual respect that supports the Institute’s ambitions and attracts highly motivated and talented people. The Babraham Institute is a Disability Confident Employer and has a positive approach to employing disabled people.
Appointment process The Institute has engaged Perrett Laver to support the Board in this appointment and further information can be downloaded from their website at https:// candidates.perrettlaver.com/ vacancies/?/, using reference number 4742. For informal enquiries about the
role please contact Yana Shevkirova Yana.Shevkirova@perrettlaver.com or +44 207 340 6208. Applications should consist of a letter of application together with a curriculum vitae, and details (email and telephone) of two referees who may be consulted.
The closing date for applications is 12 noon GMT on Friday 16th October. The full field of candidates will be subsequently reviewed by the Board. Dates for formal interviews will be confirmed in due course.
Protecting your personal data is of the utmost importance to Perrett Laver. Any information obtained by their trading divisions is held and processed in accordance with the relevant data protection legislation. The data you provide are securely stored on their computerised database and transferred to their clients (in this case the Babraham Institute) for the purposes of presenting you as a candidate and/or considering your suitability for a role you have registered interest in. As defined under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Perrett Laver is a Data Controller and a Data Processor, and their legal basis for processing your personal data is ‘Legitimate Interests’. You have the right to object to the company processing your data in this way. For more information about this, your rights, and Perrett Laver’s approach to Data Protection and Privacy, please visit their website www.perrettlaver.com/information/privacy/. 14
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The Babraham Institute Registered office: Babraham Hall, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT Registered in England and Wales No. 3011737 as a company limited by guarantee Registered Charity No. 1053902 The Babraham Institute receives core funding in strategic programme grants from the BBSRC.
