The John Innes Centre won the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s (BBSRC) Excellence with Impact award.

For our scientists this is the culmination of a three year journey to strengthen the Impact culture within the John Innes Centre and we are honoured to have been selected from 30 leading BBSRC funded institutions with such strong impact credentials.

The award was presented by Professor Nessa Carey, Director of International at PraxisUnico. She complimented the John Innes Centre on “delivering the greatest transformation in organisational culture”. In his acceptance speech, the John Innes Centre’s Deputy Director Mike Bevan celebrated the progress catalysed by the competition and the long term support from BBSRC.

This is the culmination of a three-year project which had driven culture change throughout the institute, with new systems for public dialogue, for engaging with industry, for inspiring school children and for furthering impact outside the UK.

Director Professor Dale Sanders said: “This prize is testament to the enthusiasm and passion of our scientists and their desire to realise the impact from John Innes Centre research. In addition to delivering excellent world-leading science, we must ensure our work translates into tangible benefits for the economy and society.”

We plan to use the £500,000 competition prize to further scientific impact in Africa with our regional research partners, especially Biosciences east and central Africa (BecA).

Professor Sanders added: “The opportunity to work with excellent African scientists will create long term relationships that build a shared understanding of the challenges for agriculture in Africa and the important role of science in addressing those challenges.”