Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Funding success opens laboratory doors for sixth-formers
The Royal Society Partnership Grant has awarded the team £3,000 to allow STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students from Notre Dame to work on microbiology research projects with the Biomedical Sciences team within Leeds Beckett University’s laboratory facilities.
The successful application was led Dr Donna Johnson, Postgraduate Course Director for Biomedical Sciences at Leeds Beckett, in partnership with Sarah Barber from Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College.
Commenting on the award, Dr Johnson said: “The grant will allow students from Notre Dame to work with research-active staff at Leeds Beckett on ongoing research projects within the Biomedical Science team. The focus of the projects will be in the broad area of microbiology and will test if different probiotics have the ability to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria.”
Sarah Barber added: “This grant will support a number of our sixth form students to gain experience in working in a high-quality and well-equipped biomedical sciences laboratory at Leeds Beckett University and to develop high-level research laboratory skills. The experience our students will gain from this activity will give them additional confidence as they move forward with their academic careers and university choices in the future.”
Dr Pauline Fitzgerald, Head of Subject for Biomedical Sciences at Leeds Beckett, added: “I am delighted that Leeds Beckett and Notre Dame have been successful in this joint bid to the Royal Society. There is already a strong relationship that exists between the two institutions as a significant number of Notre Dame sixth-formers choose Leeds Beckett for their university education; and I hope this project will further enhance that relationship. The Biomedical Sciences team look forward to welcoming Notre Dame students into our laboratories in January 2018.”