A pioneering initiative led by experts at the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, will support early career researchers in the UK working on obesity and metabolism.
Starting a career as a principal investigator is challenging, with many facing limited funding, staff, and access to facilities. A 2019 survey highlighted that over 40% of new investigators lack external funding, up to 75% have no research staff, and 45% are dissatisfied/indifferent with their facilities.
The initiative, called the New Investigator Obesity and Metabolism Network (NOBLE), aims to address these barriers by creating a UK-wide, community-led network that encourages collaboration, provides training, ensures access to world-class resources and expertise to drive collaborative, discovery science and answer the most pressing questions in the field.
Ultimately, NOBLE seeks to transform how new investigators work in UK bioscience, creating a lasting model for collaborative, team-led research and innovation across the sector. By addressing overweight and obesity-a major health challenge affecting around 64% of UK adults-NOBLE will drive scientific advances and improve lifelong health outcomes, setting a blueprint for future research networks."
Dr. Craig Doig, Co-Director of NOBLE based at the Centre for Systems Health and Integrated Metabolic Research, at Nottingham Trent University said: "At this crucial and often challenging stage of their careers, emerging academics deserve a consistent, high-quality experience. Yet a lack of uniformity in the training of newly appointed tenure-track academics remains a longstanding barrier. Through NOBLE, we will unite academics during this pivotal period of independent development, fostering a supportive and collaborative community.
"By working together as a national cohort, the NOBLE community will enhance the early career researcher experience and drive both the quality and quantity of bioscience research across the UK"
