Impact
Our vision is to ensure that our high-quality research and discovery work contributes to addressing fundamental challenges in global food security, growing a sustainable bioeconomy, and protecting the environment. We will boost the visibility of the University’s botany and plant sciences, demonstrate and share experiences of their uptake and how they benefit society, train significant numbers of plant researchers and practitioners across all scales of the discipline, and drive advances in understanding of botany and the plant sciences that will have major benefits for society. The CambPlants initiative served as the umbrella organisation for those involved in increasing the uptake of the results of plant science-related research at the University, acting as the point of contact for external interested parties and providing support for impact and translation activities. As a gateway for industry, policymakers and the public to access expertise, CambPlants connected many initiatives and facilitated research collaborations, outreach, skills development and networking activities. Hosted by the Department of Plant Sciences and the Sainsbury Laboratory and partially funded by the Higher Education Innovation Fund, Cambplants is now being re-visioned and enhanced to better adapt its work to deliver world-leading impact that address the grand challenges of today.
New centre drives impact in crop sciences
The Crop Science Centre is a joint initiative of the Department of Plant Sciences and the National Institute of Botany (NIAB). Established in 2020 as one of the many results of the Cambplants initiative that supports and boosts the impact and application of research, the centre combines the diverse skills and expertise of the University and NIAB, and provides an environment that inspires new research ideas between the two organisations and their partners, and enables effective translation of scientific discoveries into practical solutions.
