https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.87.7a

Further consultation is needed on accreditation of bioscience degrees with an in vivo component following the conclusion of a pilot programme in which no courses were held to have met the standard.

The Society of Biology’s programme has already accredited biochemistry degree courses at the universities of Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool and Sheffield. Further work will now be undertaken on the in vivo strand of the programme, and The Physiological Society will provide input into this process as we did in the initial development stage.

As reported in the last issue of Physiology News (‘Accreditation – will it make a difference without increased funding?’, issue 86), there are concerns in the academic community about the criteria and the lack of MBiol courses that can offer the type of practical in vivo training required by the scheme.

“ There remains a real opportunity to ensure we sustain and enhance physiology and related degrees with an in vivo component. However, if this is to be a success, as well as an appropriate accreditation framework, the courses should attract additional funding from government to support this resource-intensive training. It is critical to the UK’s global position in life sciences.” – Philip Wright, Chief Executive

If you would like to contribute your thoughts on the accreditation programme generally, or the criteria for degrees involving an in vivo component specifically, please email our Policy Manager, Michelle Brook, at policy@physoc.org