Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

BBSRC logo
Abbreviation	BBSRC
Formation	1994 (from merger of 2 other organisations)
Type	Non-Departmental Public Body
Purpose	Funding of UK biological and biotechnological science research
Headquarters	Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1UH
Region served	United Kingdom
Chief Executive	Melanie Welham (interim)
Main organ	BBSRC Council
Parent organization	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Research Councils UK
Affiliations	AHRC, EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC, RCUK, STFC, TSB, UKSA
Budget	c. £509M
Website	bbsrc.ac.uk

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is a UK Research Council and NDPB and is the largest UK public funder of non-medical bioscience. It predominantly funds scientific research institutes and university research departments in the UK.

Receiving its funding through the science budget of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), BBSRC's mission is to "promote and support, by any means, high-quality basic, strategic and applied research and related postgraduate training relating to the understanding and exploitation of biological systems".

BBSRC's head office is at Polaris House in Swindon - the same building as the other Research Councils, AHRC EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC, and STFC, as well as RCUK and the UKSA. Funded by Government, BBSRC invested over £509M in world-class bioscience in 2014-15. BBSRC also manages the joint Research Councils' Office in Brussels - the UK Research Office (UKRO).

BBSRC was created in 1994, merging the former Agricultural and Food Research Council (AFRC) and taking over the biological science activities of the former Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC).