CABI has been awarded a £1.25 million capital grant from the Wolfson Foundation towards the relocation and modernisation of its UK science centre to Silwood Park, the rural campus of Imperial College London.
The Wolfson Foundation today (24 July 2024) announced its latest round of grants, with around 80 organisations across the UK, including CABI, receiving a share of over £14 million for capital projects – predominantly for research and education facilities.
This is CABI’s first award from the Wolfson Foundation which is supporting its move to new premises, and enhanced laboratory facilities, at Silwood Park, near the village of Sunninghill, Ascot, UK.
The award follows the announcement, in October 2023, that CABI and Imperial College London agreed to collaborate further on teaching and research regarding fragile ecosystems, sustainable agriculture, and the environment including how to sensitively manage the world’s biodiversity threatened by climate change.
The agreement signifies a pivotal moment for both institutions. CABI, with its extensive network of Member Countries worldwide and its unwavering commitment to bridging the gap between science and practical application, particularly in the Global South, adds strength to Imperial’s world-class research capacity.
The award from the Wolfson Foundation means that the collaboration between CABI and Imperial College London will be enhanced by the proposed relocation of CABI’s UK research facilities and staff from Egham to Silwood Park, where they will also share many other spaces.
Scientists from CABI will contribute to delivering lectures to postgraduate students as well as seminars and practical lessons on courses in which they have relevant expertise.
Both parties will identify collaborative research projects as well as the promotion of published science in journals and books. CABI is, for instance, an academic publisher in the life sciences with journals such as CABI Agriculture and Bioscience.
CABI is responsible for world-leading applied research on topics spanning invasive species, pests and diseases and commodity crops, and houses the UK National Fungus Collection and the UK Crop Microbiome Cryobank.
The Wolfson Foundation’s latest round of capital grants will benefit projects – ranging from new research facilities and school science laboratories, to performing arts equipment, archive and history centres and hospices – around the UK, from St Austell to the Outer Hebrides and Gwynedd to Antrim.
Additional information
Main image: CABI houses the UK National Fungus collection and the UK Crop Microbiome Cryobank (Credit: CABI).
The Wolfson Foundation press release
See the official announcement from the Wolfson Foundation here.
Relevant story
About the Wolfson Foundation
The Wolfson Foundation is an independent charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to support civil society by investing in excellent projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts.
Since it was established in 1955, some £1 billion (£2 billion in real terms) has been awarded to more than 14,000 projects throughout the UK, all on the basis of expert review.
Find out more from their website here.
