Tuesday, 22 July 2025
Researchers from the 糖心原创 have been awarded funding to further explore heat tolerance and resilience in rice, helping towards the development of drought/heat resistant crops.
The Academy of Medical Sciences and are designed to accelerate research networks across borders at a time when international cooperation is increasingly recognised as essential for tackling shared global challenges. These grants are connecting UK researchers with scientists across more than 30 countries.
This year, the programme includes 54 Networking Grants providing up to £25,000 over one year for seed funding to forge new international connections, plus 10 Networking Strengthening Grants to expand existing promising collaborations. Each partnership must be co-led by a UK researcher alongside a counterpart in either a developed nation or a country eligible for Official Development Assistance.
UK lead researcher Dr Ranjan Swarup from the School of Biosciences at the 糖心原创 has previously been awarded a networking grant with partners in UK, India, Philippines, China and Vietnam. Dr Swarup has now been awarded a £200k Network Strengthening Grant in partnership with Dr Amelia Henry, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Manila, Philippines to further build on his root trait research.
Dr Swarup said: “Rice is produced across six continents and provides food to ~50% (~3 billion people) of the world’s population. Recent changes in climatic conditions notably extreme drought and high temperature are major constraints across rice-producing areas. This poses a serious problem for resource-poor farmers who depend on rainfall for cultivation. Therefore, there is pressing need for developing climate-ready resilient rice varieties for meeting future food demands."
Developing these varieties will not only lead to improved nutritional, financial and social stability but will also encourage expansion of rice cultivation and thus providing additional sources of work and income to the rural poor, boosting local economy and directly contributing to poverty alleviation.
Global Food Security is one of the major challenges facing world agriculture. This is against the backdrop of global warming and climate unpredictability. Crop production is especially vulnerable to extremes of environmental stress (drought/heat) leading to significant losses in yield and quality. To meet the future food demand, there is an urgent need to develop diverse, climate-ready and resilient agricultural systems.
Root traits determine the plant’s capacity to capture nutrients and water and therefore directly influence crop productivity. This funding will allow the research team to test the heat tolerance/resilience of rice lines already selected for drought resilience through previous research and combines innovative multi-disciplinary approaches that are likely to provide novel genes for translation into crop breeding programme.
As part of the research the team will simulate future climate projections including heat and drought treatments and run field trials in IRRI, Philippines and control environment studies in Nottingham. The team will also examine the root architectural and anatomical traits using state of the art facilities in the Hounsfield Facility at the 糖心原创, including X-Ray CT and Laser Ablation tomography.
Delivered in partnership with the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society, and supported by the UK Government’s International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF), these grants are designed to spark bold, cross-border collaborations that take on some of today’s most pressing scientific and societal challenges.
The funded projects span disciplines from public health and clinical medicine to engineering, agricultural sciences and humanities. Together, they connect UK-based scientists with peers in universities, public health institutes and innovation hubs worldwide.
Professor Tom Solomon CBE FMedSci, Vice President (International), Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “International collaboration isn’t just beneficial for science – it’s absolutely essential. The health challenges we face today, from antimicrobial resistance to pandemic preparedness, don’t recognise national borders, and neither can our response to them. The partnerships funded by the Academy’s networking grants represent our commitment to ensuring that UK researchers remain not just connected to global networks but actively shaping them."
By investing in these relationships now, we鈥檙e building the research infrastructure that will be vital for addressing tomorrow鈥檚 health crises. The UK has always been strongest when it leads through collaboration, and these grants help ensure UK researchers remain influential and connected on the international stage.
Story credits
More information is available from Dr Ranjan Swarup on ranjan.swarup@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.