The roadshow meetings were announced in early August and will involve short presentations from Chief Executive, Douglas Kell, newly appointed Director of Science, Melanie Welham and Director of Innovation and Skills, Celia Caulcott. Each meeting will include a discussion forum, together with the opportunity to meet these and other BBSRC senior managers.

BBSRC’s approach to peer review and its current model of standing committees will be among the topics for discussion, together with a review of BBSRC’s current strategic direction and future opportunities.

BBSRC Chief Executive Prof Doug Kell, said: “Our current processes and systems to review grant applications are under pressure. We know this. There are issues around getting enough high quality referee comments and committee members are shouldering a huge workload. It is only right that we examine alternative approaches: for example, EU programmes review applications using expert panels. We are hoping that our research community will contribute views on how we can improve a part of the system that is so fundamental to all our work.”

The roadshow meetings are being held in central locations in the following cities:

• Cambridge, Thursday 4 October
• Bristol, Friday 12 October
• Manchester, Tuesday 30 October
• Glasgow, Tuesday 20 November
• London, Wednesday 28 November – FULL

The London meeting is already full and several others are filling quickly. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting is encouraged to register as soon as possible for any of the other venues.

For information on how to register to attend see www.bbsrc.ac.uk/news/events/2012-research-community-roadshows.aspx