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Institute joins the Technician Commitment

Key points:

• The ���������̳ joins the Technician Commitment as a signatory.
• Commitment will engage the Institute’s technical community to increase recognition and evaluate career support for technical roles.

The ���������̳ is proud to join the Technician Commitment as a signatory today, pledging our commitment to recognising the technical expertise contributed by skilled professionals filling roles across the Institute.

The Institute was officially welcomed as a signatory to the Commitment at an event held at the Royal Society in London today (4th December) to announce the sixth phase of the Technician Commitment. Dr Danielle Hoyle, Head of Scientific Services, and Mr Kevin Henry, Human Resources Advisor, represented the Institute at the event.

Institutional Lead, Dr Hoyle, said: “Our community of research technical professionals play a vital role at the Institute. Their specialist skills, experience and ability to develop and implement methodologies enable our researchers to deliver world class science. As we sign up to the Technician Commitment, we look forward to increasing the visibility and recognition for the contribution they make.”

The Technician Commitment is a university and research institution initiative, led by a steering group of sector bodies, with support from the Science Council and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation’s Technicians Make It Happen campaign. The Commitment aims to ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians, technologists and skills specialists working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.

On joining the Technician Commitment, signatories are required to develop an action plan to identify and address the key challenges affecting their technical staff and complete a self-assessment after the first year of joining to demonstrate the progress made. The Institute’s action plan will be developed in collaboration with the Institute’s technical community and benefit from examples of good practice established by other signatories.

Professor Michael Wakelam, Institute Director, said: “The Institute recognises that every member of the organisation plays an important role. As both the Institute’s Director and as a group leader, I know that the Institute’s technical community are absolutely essential to being able to achieve excellent science and in running the cutting-edge facilities that underpin this. I’m delighted that by joining the Technician Commitment we’ll be able to build upon our existing processes of recognition and support.”

Notes to Editors

Press contact

Dr Louisa Wood, Institute Communications Manager, louisa.wood@babraham.ac.uk

About the ���������̳

The ���������̳ undertakes world-class life sciences research to generate new knowledge of biological mechanisms underpinning ageing, development and the maintenance of health. Our research focuses on cellular signalling, gene regulation and the impact of epigenetic regulation at different stages of life. By determining how the body reacts to dietary and environmental stimuli and manages microbial and viral interactions, we aim to improve wellbeing and support healthier ageing. The Institute is strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, through an Institute Core Capability Grant and also receives funding from other UK research councils, charitable foundations, the EU and medical charities.