Frequently Asked Questions
- Is there an age limit?
No, although it should be noted that Biotechnology YES is aimed at individuals who are in the early stages of their research career, for example PhD students or those working on their first or second post-doctoral research appointment. - Do participants have to be funded by the research council sponsors BBSRC, MRC or NERC?
Not necessarily, but currently all participants do have to be working in the biosciences. - Does Biotechnology YES encourage individuals from all backgrounds to participate?
Yes, Biotechnology YES is committed to eliminating unjustified discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity and good relations across and between equality groups. We welcomes applications from all sections of the community do not discriminate on the grounds of gender, disability, age, race/ethnicity, religion or philosophical belief or sexual orientation. - If I have a disability would I be able to participate in the Scheme?
Yes, Biotechnology YES is open to all individuals, including those with disabilities. If you have a disability, please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments we can make to enable your participation at the workshops. - Do we have to produce a written business plan at the workshop?
No, your team will prepare its plan for oral presentation on the Friday. The aim of your presentation is to convince the panel to invest in your idea, company and team. - Is the competition only open to biosciences researchers?
Yes. At the moment the competition is only open to researchers working in the biosciences. This however does include a broad spectrum from medical researchers to ecologists. - Can you explain what you mean by an imaginary idea?
Your idea should be based on biotechnology that is realistic, but is currently hypothetical. For example, you could assume for the sake of the competition, as the 2002 winning team did, that a micro-organism has been identified with novel enzymatic activity. Remember that you idea must be believable; you should be able to account for the advances in science needed to develop your imaginary technology. - Is Biotechnology YES open to members of universities in other countries?
Currently, Biotechnology YES is open to members of UK universities only, but may be expanded to involve other countries in the future. - Can teams be composed of individuals from different UK universities?
Teams are primarily drawn from single departments, but cross-department or cross-university groups are more than welcome. To participate you should complete an application form which can be downloaded from this website, include all the information about all team members and return the application form to Tracey Hassall-Jones as directed. - Do we have to pay to enter Biotechnology YES?
Biotechnology YES is free to enter. However we do ask that teams pay a refunded deposit of £250 per team once you have been allocated a place. Providing you attend your allotted workshop your deposit will be refunded. The cost of running Biotechnology YES is £600 per participant and unfortunately when participants cancel we incur charges that are not refundable. Some departments are willing to pay the deposit on behalf of their teams. - What do past participants say about participating in Biotechnology YES?
Teams participating in Biotechnology YES attend a briefing session before the competition workshops where they will have the opportunity to hear from and speak with past participants. - Can I participate in Biotechnology YES if I have already participated before?
No, unfortunately, because of limited funding, individuals can only take part once in either Bioscience YES, Biotechnology YES or Environment YES.
In the meantime, here are some comments from previous participants:
“The competition not only gave me a good grounding in a variety of skills that were necessary for getting into the biotechnology business, such as an introduction to intellectual property and patents, but also the confidence to feel that I could get out there and do something myself.”
- Polly Todd (nee Vincent)
“The scheme provides [participants] with a unique opportunity to become involved with science outside the laboratory and introduce new ideas for careers in different areas. Research institutes and universities across the UK are simply oozing with creative, energetic young scientists and it only takes a few of these to discover their hidden talents and awaken their passion for entrepreneurship through the YES scheme, to significantly enhance the commercialisation of biotechnology for the UK economy.”
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Tim Hart
“Being finalists in Biotechnology YES helped us mould our idea into a marketable product and forced us to think carefully about our business model. It provided us with a great introduction to entrepreneurship and made us confident when we came to participate in the Cambridge University Entrepreneurs 50K Competition.”
- Akhilesh Reddy
“The Biotechnology YES competition made us all think more about our science, career and what else is out there. It has built our confidence in speaking to people and presenting our work, we have made many contacts and started to network, something we had never seriously pursued before and who knows given a little more time we may even start our own biotech venture.”
- James Hadfield
“This competition gave us an invaluable insight into the commercial applications of biotechnology, broadening our horizons beyond purely academic opportunities.”
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Simon Chandler