Swindon-based Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the
US National Institute on Aging (NIA) have come together in the first agreement
of its kind in the biosciences to fund collaborative UK-US research projects
into normal ageing. BBSRC and NIA have committed a total of almost £4M to the
collaborative programme. The programme will fund genuinely collaborative
proposals that bring together research groups from both countries. The call for
proposals from researchers is now open.
Increased life expectancy in the developed world is forecast to lead to a
dramatically older population in coming decades. For society to cope and for
more people to enjoy healthy and active older age it is crucial that we
understand as much as possible about how our bodies change as we age. To help
scientists working in this area a leading Swindon-based funding body and its
counterpart in the US have joined forces to fund a programme of collaborative
transatlantic bioscience research into the ageing process.
Prof Doug Kell, Chief Executive of BBSRC, said: “As lifespan increases we need
to work to ensure that health-span increases as well. This is an issue that
affects every person, in Britain, America or elsewhere, and we can only hope to
enjoy healthy and active older age if scientists are able to probe the processes
that occur as we age naturally and normally.
“I am proud that US and UK scientists will be working together on this important
area under the auspices of this BBSRC and NIA joint programme.”
The aim of the programme is to develop research links between UK and US research
groups so that in addition to furthering our understanding of the healthy
biology of ageing the ageing research effort on both sides of the Atlantic will
benefit in the long term.
