Scientist in Sustainable Dairying Systems (Higher Scientific Officer)
Member Blog: Lessons learned - my biggest challenges and wins so far
Australian Pig Association 2025 Conference
BSAS 2025 - Bridging the gap from Science to Extension to Expression
BSAS 2025 - European Network on Livestock Phenomics: enhancing phenotyping in animal breeding and livestock farming
BSAS 2025 - Bioinformatic Investigation of the Differences Between Traditional and Modern Breeds of Cattle
BSAS 2025 - Code EFABAR: Supporting Responsible and Sustainable Livestock Breeding in Society
BSAS 2025 - GHG Mitigation: Role of Genetics
BSAS 2025 - Beyond the carbon footprint: Finding balance in food systems
BSAS 2025 - Effect of grass-only and grass-clover based swards on the growth performance of suckler-bred heifers and steers finished at 19.5 months of age
BSAS 2025 - An investigation to the effect of a multispecies sward on herbage availability and lamb performance on a commercial farm
BSAS 2025 - Legume Legacy: Multispecies Swards Outperform Perennial Ryegrass Monocultures Under Long-Term Drought
BSAS 2025 - Relationship between dairy farming system and the use of and resistance to antibiotics
BSAS 2025 - Brazilian beef: Challenges and opportunities in meeting global demand for high-quality meat
BSAS 2025 - Sustainable Sheep Production in the Americas: Challenges and Innovations
BSAS 2025 - Brazilian livestock and global warming: Impacts and mitigation strategies
BSAS 2025 - Sustainable Sheep - New Approaches and Technologies
BSAS 2025 - Circular Bioeconomy and animal agriculture: Something old, something new
BSAS 2025 - Exploring farmers’ perceptions of the value and management of dairy-bred calves in block calving dairy systems in England
BSAS 2025 - Blue light and time of day of exercise impacts inflammatory markers in yearling Quarter Horses
BSAS 2025 - Novel predictors of fatigue in Thoroughbred horses
BSAS 2025 - Artificial neural networks improve estimation of horse body weight using morphometric measurements
BSAS 2025 - Group accommodation increases social interaction including agonistic behavior compared to traditional single stabling in two-year old Sport Horse stallions during 12 weeks of pre-training
BSAS 2025 - Reducing Crude Protein contents with amino acid supplementation in finishing pigs: an economic assessment in male versus female heavy Duroc X (Landrace X Large White) crosses
BSAS 2025 - The interaction between space allowance and loose enrichment material on tail biting outbreaks in pigs
BSAS 2025 - Impact of Early-Life nutrition on lifetime performance and carcass composition in Dairy-Bred Bulls
BSAS 2025 - Feeding on the MOOVE: Assessing the effect of on-board feeding during long-distance road-ferry-road transport on the blood physiology of unweaned calves
BSAS 2025 - Effect of weaner pen hygiene, floor space allowance and feeder space allowance on post-weaning pig growth
BSAS 2025 - Relationships between oral fluid biomarkers and ear necrosis in weaned pigs: a pilot study
BSAS 2025 - Exploring the Reasons for Routine Tail Docking Among Pig Farmers and the Support Needed for Change
BSAS 2025 - From science to impact at scale: Cows can make the difference in the fight against global warming
BSAS 2025 - Effect of concentrate crude protein concentration and supplementation level on the milk production of autumn-calving, late-lactation, grazing dairy cows
BSAS 2025 - Exploring the role of miR-127 in dairy cattle: associations with ageing, milk production, and stem cell function
BSAS 2025 - Adopting Livestock Innovation on a National and Global Scale
BSAS 2025 - Validation of IceQube step-counts on dairy cows grazing ryegrass/plantain swards
BSAS 2025 - Navigating the antibiotic resistance conundrum: Insights into gene distribution and transfer in livestock
BSAS 2025 - Mapping antimicrobial resistance across dairy cows, human, and environmental interfaces in food-producing regions of Brazil: A One Health Perspective
BSAS 2025 - Climate Resilient UK: Lessons From Around the Globe
BSAS 2025 - Nutrient value of slurry post-storage with a methane mitigating additive in perennial ryegrass trials
BSAS 2025 - AAAS Session (CPD Value = 3 points)
BSAS 2025 - Assessment of slurry additives during storage & landspreading
BSAS 2025 - Investigating methane emissions from nulliparous female sheep using GreenFeed technology
BSAS 2025 - Comparing ammonia emissions from low emission slurry spreading techniques using cattle slurry on cool temperate grasslands
BSAS 2025 - Wind tunnels as a qualitative tool for measuring ammonia emissions from manure: enhancing accuracy and reliability
BSAS 2025 - Opening Address (CPD Value = 2 points)
BSAS News April 2025
BSAS 2025 - President’s Session (CPD Value = 5 points)
BSAS 2025 - Hammond Lecture (CPD Value = 2 points)
BSAS 2025 - Machine learning in genetics: Finding feed efficient dairy cattle
BSAS 2025 - Candidate genes and pathways associated with bovine tuberculosis identified with an mRNA-miRNA regulatory network
BSAS 2025 - Dairy cow resilience: data driven detection and quantification of perturbations using daily milk weights
PhD Researcher Stefan Yerby appointed as Trustee of the British Society of Animal Science
BSAS 2025 - Gene Expression Changes in Nucleotide Metabolism and Cell Adhesion Pathways Contribute to Altered Methane Emissions in Lambs.
BSAS 2025 - Alternative Metrics of Methane Production in Sheep
BSAS 2025 - Genetic analysis of farmer assigned death reasons in lambs.
BSAS 2025 - Genotype Quality Control Using LRRs
BSAS 2025 - Using cutting edge technology such as DNA sequencing to allow more insight into product mode of action
BSAS 2025 - Use of rumen in vitro techniques to perform a preliminary assessment of novel feed ingredients
BSAS 2025 - How does industry benefit from all forms of animal research?
BSAS 2025 - Designing and managing on farm trials as a cost-effective way to support product and commercial development
BSAS 2025 - Is there any potential for forensic determination of plant species ingested by cattle by proteomic investigation of faeces?
BSAS 2025 - Milk production and feed efficiency of dairy cows offered concentrates differing in human-edible fractions and grass silage harvested at different stages of maturity
BSAS 2025 - Effects of changing the human-edible fraction of dairy cow concentrates on milk production and feed efficiency
BSAS 2025 - Rumen degradability and intestinal digestibility of toasted faba beans
BSAS 2025 - Milking your milk contract
BSAS 2025 - Balancing health and sustainability: The role of red meat in the UK diet
BSAS 2025 - Lifecycle assessment of pasture-based dairy production systems: current and future performance
BSAS 2025 - The impact of incorporating ribwort plantain into perennial ryegrass swards on the performance of high-yielding dairy cows
BSAS 2025 - Cell grazing enhances soil carbon storage in intensively managed sheep grasslands
BSAS 2025 - Economic, environmental and food security contribution of mixed farming crop-livestock rotational-based grazing beef systems
BSAS 2025 - Effect of silage species and silage feeding rate on the milk production of late lactation, grazing dairy cows
BSAS 2025 - Grassland Management as a Socio-Cultural Practice: farmers’ values, decisions and behaviours regarding use of paddock grazing and clover in cattle pastures
BSAS 2025 - Effect of perennial ryegrass-white clover or perennial ryegrass-white clover-plantain swards on the milk mineral and fatty acid concentrations of grazing dairy cows
BSAS 2025 - The negative and positive impacts of grazing
BSAS 2025 - How does white clover inclusion in perennial ryegrass swards within intensive grazing dairy systems impact pasture and animal performances on a wetland soil type?
BSAS 2025 - Getting the metrics right to define the critical role livestock will play in future sustainable circular food systems
BSAS 2025 - An Introduction to SEFARI
BSAS 2025 - In vivo and in vitro investigations of host-pathogen interactions in bovine digital dermatitis
BSAS 2025 - Exploring factors associated with peripartum subclinical hipocalcemia in dairy cows using a multivariate approach
BSAS 2025 - Association between housing, management and environmental factors and respiratory disease prevalence in dairy calves
BSAS 2025 - Serum analyte temporal profiles of spring-calving, pasture-based dairy cows during the transition period
BSAS 2025 - Teagasc Selective Dry Cow Therapy Research
BSAS 2025 - Aetiology of clinical mastitis on a large cohort of Irish dairy herds
BSAS 2025 - Factors associated with failure of passive transfer of immunity using different blood testing methods in suckler beef and dairy calves
BSAS 2025 - The effect of sward type on growth performance, methane output and the rumen microbiome in lambs during the post-weaning period
BSAS 2025 - Performance characteristics of Scottish Blackface and Texel x Scottish Blackface lambs offered forage brassica, perennial ryegrass or cereal based concentrate diets
BSAS 2025 - Effect of sward type on lamb performance in the post weaning period
BSAS 2025 - Effects of grazing contrasting grass swards on lambs’ performance and an approach to calculate their grass intake
BSAS 2025 - Research and Development at HCC to underpin marketing of red meat from Wales as a sustainable and essential food source for the human diet
BSAS 2025 - Comparison of nonlinear functions to model the growth profiles of female lowland sheep
BSAS 2025 - Impact of prolific breed type on ewe and lamb performance, production efficiency and carcass output in a pasture-based sheep meat production system
BSAS 2025 - The effect of dam genetic merit and country of origin on maternal traits including ewe reproduction and performance
BSAS 2025 - Adopting genomic technologies to provide insights on Microphthalmia in Texel sheep
BSAS 2025 - Updating economic values for the Irish sheep breeding indexes
BSAS 2025 - Ovine lameness in Ireland – The ability of farmers to identify infectious lameness lesions and their subsequent treatment protocols - via survey
BSAS 2025 - Heritability of wool shedding in mature ewes
BSAS 2025 - Prime lamb production from grazed grass – effect of ewe age and genotype on productivity and subsequent lamb performance
BSAS 2025 - The role of a common sheep registration system in the efficiency of Icelandic sheep production
BSAS 2025 - Analysis of biogas production from silage and slurry: Impact of organic loading rate, renewable energy criteria and biomethane price
BSAS 2025 - The effect of performing an economic allocation to partition total animal emissions of Aberdeen Angus × Friesian steers finished on pasture or indoors
- PhD Researcher Stefan Yerby appointed as Trustee of the British Society of Animal Science
- Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing - 20% discount for BSAS Members
- Dr Grace O’Gorman Appointed as a new Trustee of the Society.
- Celebrating Excellence in Animal Science: BSAS 2025 Awards Recognise Outstanding Talent and Innovation
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Scientist in Sustainable Dairying Systems (Higher Scientific Officer)
REF: IRC312994
DEPARTMENT: AFBI - Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute
SALARY: £34,524 - £35,712 (£37,694 - £38,990 with effect from 1 August 2025)
LOCATION: AFBI Sustainable Livestock Systems Branch, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR
In order to apply for this position, please click on the “Apply for this job online” link below to register to this vacancy and to submit an online application.
Member Blog: Lessons learned - my biggest challenges and wins so far
Written by Dr Holly Vickery
Author profile: Holly is an Animal Behaviour and Welfare scientist with a particular interest in how findings can be practically utilised by stakeholders. She graduated from the University of Bristol in 2018 with a first-class BSc in Animal Behaviour and Welfare and then completed her PhD at the University of Reading titled “The behaviour and welfare of goat kids during the milk feeding stage and weaning transition”. Holly is now a lecturer at Harper Adams University and holds positions as deputy chair of the Early Careers Committee of BSAS, and 'Impact and Outreach officer' for the Early Careers group of the Animal Welfare Research Network.
When I reflect on my journey so far in animal science, it’s clear that my biggest challenges have also become some of my most valuable wins. Here I share a bit about my experiences as an early career scientist and how I’ve transitioned from PhD student to lecturer.
Both student and staff: Balancing research and teaching
I started my PhD in a slightly unconventional way. Instead of applying for a funded research project, I applied for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship. This meant I would teach part-time—25% of my time—and spend the remaining 75% conducting PhD research on a subject of my choice. I loved the idea of combining teaching and research, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do both.
But about nine months into my PhD, my supervisor, who was the only academic in our department specialising in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, left for a position in Canada. I ended up leading her entire final year module and co-creating another. It was a whirlwind: learning university systems, supporting students, and figuring out how to survive in academia - all at once. It was a baptism by fire, no doubt, but one that gave me an incredible head start. That teaching experience later helped me land my first academic job, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Having an eye on what you want to do in the future and gaining experience that will align to it is really valuable, I thought I would want to stay in academia so the lecturing experience was really valuable but I also knew I could sell the experience in other ways relevant to industry to.
A full-circle moment came recently when I ran an event and a former student I’d taught during my PhD attended. She now works in animal welfare and it was such a rewarding reminder of the impact we can have.
First Lectureship, First Projects – and a Lot of Learning Curves
After finishing my PhD, I started a one-year maternity cover role in 2023. It was teaching-only, and while I knew I wanted to return to research eventually, I needed the experience (and a job!). Then in June 2024, I was lucky enough to secure a permanent lectureship, this was a huge opportunity for me but I can’t begin to express how much privilege I know I have now, as someone who’s managed to find a permanent position quickly post PhD and the stability that brings.
Knowing that I wanted to get back into research and to hit the ground running when I could I’d tried to make sure I was preparing during my maternity cover position. I’d kept a folder of project ideas and potential collaborators, mapping out future funding calls and even drafting background sections in case opportunities arose. This meant that as soon as I saw a small grant I would have some of the preparation ready. So I started applying, and then... the rejections came. So many rejections. But with each, I learned a little more about grant writing and the internal processes required to submit a bid. Slowly, things started to shift.
My first successful grants was a three-month Innovate UK scoping project, identifying priority areas and aligned innovations for sustainable goat production in Africa. It was my first post-PhD, externally funded project—and I was the lead! It was stressful, juggling partners in Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, and the UK, all over the Christmas period, but I learned an enormous amount in a short time, and ultimately I managed to do it! You can read the project report here: New Climate-Smart Agriculture Partnership Scoping Project reports - Innovate UK Business Connect.
I’ve also recently kicked off a six-month BBSRC/AWRN-funded project looking at wearable sensor technology for goats. Goat tech still a very novel area, and I’m thrilled to have managed to persuade people to fund goat research after spending a lot of my PhD being told they’d never be a priority. My strategy of aiming for smaller grants first has really paid off (although now I’m at the scary point of needing to write some big applications)!
What I wish someone had told me: Tips for Early Career Scientists
1. Send the email.
Whether it’s reaching out to a potential collaborator or asking for advice, don’t let fear stop you. I’ve agonised over wording, timing, and whether I was being too forward—but honestly, the worst thing that’s ever happened is being ignored. And on the flip side, I’ve had some fantastic responses, collaborations, and helpful contacts come out of a simple email. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people, lots of them genuinely do want to help!
2. Get your name out there.
Write blogs (like this one!), post on social media, and volunteer at conferences. These are great ways to connect with others and build visibility. Helping out at conferences has been valuable to me as its given me a reason to introduce myself to people I would have been too nervous to approach otherwise. Let people know what you’re interested in and figure out who you may be able to collaborate with longer term – interacting with these people even in the smallest of ways can help you in the future. Don’t underestimate the power of visibility in a crowded field - the more people who know your name, the more likely that someone will think of you when an opportunity comes up.
3. But also… learn to say no.
I’ll admit it, this is still a learning curve for me and I regularly find myself cursing past Holly for saying yes to too many things! I’m still working out the balance between grabbing every possible opportunity there is whilst valuing my time and my life outside of work. I’ve experienced periods of burnout (just ask my mum about the time during my PhD when I physically couldn’t speak for three days) and therefore know that this is an incredibly important skill to learn. It’s hard when you’re eager to take every opportunity, but learning to value your time and protect your energy is essential. Ask yourself: does this align with my long-term goals? If not, it’s okay to politely decline.
4. Don’t undersell yourself.
Keep a running list of everything you do—guest lectures, panels, training courses, even the little things like supporting other students. When it’s time to write a job application or update your CV, you’ll thank yourself. I hated writing job applications and this is common, its triggering for imposter syndrome and makes you feel immodest to talk about yourself in a positive way. My strategy is to pretend I’m writing about my best friend and not myself, I care about them, I know how great they are and I want them to do well, therefore I’m going to big them up as much as I can!
5. Ask for feedback, even when it’s uncomfortable.
I won’t sugar-coat it: receiving feedback, especially on rejections, can be tough. Peer reviews fill me with dread and I always have to read them, likely cry for a bit and think I shouldn’t be in my job, then come back to them a week later able to actually tackle them! But it’s been crucial for my growth. Whether it’s from peers, reviewers, or collaborators, feedback helps you see what you can’t on your own. Ask for it often, and use it.
Final Thoughts
The early career stage feels like a wild combination of imposter syndrome, rejection, burnout, and a constant background pressure to prove yourself. But it’s also full of opportunity, growth, and those joyful moments where things start to come together. My path has been messy, unpredictable, and incredibly rewarding—and if you’re in the thick of it now, hang in there.
You’re learning. You’re doing more than you think. And someday, you'll be the one offering advice (even whilst feeling woefully underqualified to do so!)
Feel free to get in touch via email hvickery@harper-adams.ac.uk or connecting on LinkedIn Holly Vickery | LinkedIn
Australian Pig Association 2025 Conference
2025 APSA Conference
17th – 19th November 2025. RACV City Club, Melbourne, Australia
Join us for our 20th biennial conference, APSA 2025, which will take place in Melbourne from 17 -19th November 2025.
Day one of the conference will be dedicated to applied science and we encourage pork producers to atten
Please submit your paper here before Friday 2nd May 2025 - One-Page Paper Submission – APSA
BSAS 2025 - Bridging the gap from Science to Extension to Expression
BSAS 2025 - European Network on Livestock Phenomics: enhancing phenotyping in animal breeding and livestock farming
BSAS 2025 - Bioinformatic Investigation of the Differences Between Traditional and Modern Breeds of Cattle
BSAS 2025 - Code EFABAR: Supporting Responsible and Sustainable Livestock Breeding in Society
BSAS 2025 - GHG Mitigation: Role of Genetics
BSAS 2025 - Beyond the carbon footprint: Finding balance in food systems
BSAS 2025 - Effect of grass-only and grass-clover based swards on the growth performance of suckler-bred heifers and steers finished at 19.5 months of age
BSAS 2025 - An investigation to the effect of a multispecies sward on herbage availability and lamb performance on a commercial farm
BSAS 2025 - Legume Legacy: Multispecies Swards Outperform Perennial Ryegrass Monocultures Under Long-Term Drought
BSAS 2025 - Relationship between dairy farming system and the use of and resistance to antibiotics
BSAS 2025 - Brazilian beef: Challenges and opportunities in meeting global demand for high-quality meat
BSAS 2025 - Sustainable Sheep Production in the Americas: Challenges and Innovations
BSAS 2025 - Brazilian livestock and global warming: Impacts and mitigation strategies
BSAS 2025 - Sustainable Sheep - New Approaches and Technologies
BSAS 2025 - Circular Bioeconomy and animal agriculture: Something old, something new
BSAS 2025 - Exploring farmers’ perceptions of the value and management of dairy-bred calves in block calving dairy systems in England
BSAS 2025 - Blue light and time of day of exercise impacts inflammatory markers in yearling Quarter Horses
BSAS 2025 - Novel predictors of fatigue in Thoroughbred horses
BSAS 2025 - Artificial neural networks improve estimation of horse body weight using morphometric measurements
BSAS 2025 - Group accommodation increases social interaction including agonistic behavior compared to traditional single stabling in two-year old Sport Horse stallions during 12 weeks of pre-training
BSAS 2025 - Reducing Crude Protein contents with amino acid supplementation in finishing pigs: an economic assessment in male versus female heavy Duroc X (Landrace X Large White) crosses
BSAS 2025 - The interaction between space allowance and loose enrichment material on tail biting outbreaks in pigs
BSAS 2025 - Impact of Early-Life nutrition on lifetime performance and carcass composition in Dairy-Bred Bulls
BSAS 2025 - Feeding on the MOOVE: Assessing the effect of on-board feeding during long-distance road-ferry-road transport on the blood physiology of unweaned calves
BSAS 2025 - Effect of weaner pen hygiene, floor space allowance and feeder space allowance on post-weaning pig growth
BSAS 2025 - Relationships between oral fluid biomarkers and ear necrosis in weaned pigs: a pilot study
BSAS 2025 - Exploring the Reasons for Routine Tail Docking Among Pig Farmers and the Support Needed for Change
BSAS 2025 - From science to impact at scale: Cows can make the difference in the fight against global warming
BSAS 2025 - Effect of concentrate crude protein concentration and supplementation level on the milk production of autumn-calving, late-lactation, grazing dairy cows
BSAS 2025 - Exploring the role of miR-127 in dairy cattle: associations with ageing, milk production, and stem cell function
BSAS 2025 - Adopting Livestock Innovation on a National and Global Scale
BSAS 2025 - Validation of IceQube step-counts on dairy cows grazing ryegrass/plantain swards
BSAS 2025 - Navigating the antibiotic resistance conundrum: Insights into gene distribution and transfer in livestock
BSAS 2025 - Mapping antimicrobial resistance across dairy cows, human, and environmental interfaces in food-producing regions of Brazil: A One Health Perspective
BSAS 2025 - Climate Resilient UK: Lessons From Around the Globe
BSAS 2025 - Nutrient value of slurry post-storage with a methane mitigating additive in perennial ryegrass trials
BSAS 2025 - AAAS Session (CPD Value = 3 points)
BSAS 2025 - Assessment of slurry additives during storage & landspreading
BSAS 2025 - Investigating methane emissions from nulliparous female sheep using GreenFeed technology
BSAS 2025 - Comparing ammonia emissions from low emission slurry spreading techniques using cattle slurry on cool temperate grasslands
BSAS 2025 - Wind tunnels as a qualitative tool for measuring ammonia emissions from manure: enhancing accuracy and reliability
BSAS 2025 - Opening Address (CPD Value = 2 points)
BSAS News April 2025
BSAS 2025 - President’s Session (CPD Value = 5 points)
BSAS 2025 - Hammond Lecture (CPD Value = 2 points)
BSAS 2025 - Machine learning in genetics: Finding feed efficient dairy cattle
BSAS 2025 - Candidate genes and pathways associated with bovine tuberculosis identified with an mRNA-miRNA regulatory network
BSAS 2025 - Dairy cow resilience: data driven detection and quantification of perturbations using daily milk weights
PhD Researcher Stefan Yerby appointed as Trustee of the British Society of Animal Science
The British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) is delighted to announce the appointment of Stefan Yerby as a trustee of the Society.
Stefan is currently completing his PhD at the University of Galway, where his research focuses on dairy cattle nutrition and sustainability, aiming to improve dairy efficiency while reducing environmental impact.
Stefan is driven and committed to sustainable livestock systems; having spent a decade in industry before becoming research active across the UK and Canada.
Alongside his doctoral studies, Stefan recently joined the Farming Science Team in the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), where he continues to contribute to sustainable agricultural systems, particularly in areas relating to greenhouse gas mitigation.
His appointment as a trustee was formally confirmed at the BSAS Annual Conference AGM, held in Galway in 2024.
Commenting on his appointment, Stefan said:
“It is a real honour to join the BSAS Board of Trustees and stand alongside some of the most inspirational individuals in animal science. The Society has played a key role in supporting my development as an early-career researcher, and I’m excited to give back by helping BSAS continue its work in promoting high-quality animal science and supporting the next generation of researchers."
Welcoming the appointment, BSAS President Helen Warren added:
"Stefan’s drive, insight, and passion for sustainable livestock systems will be a great asset to BSAS. We are particularly pleased to welcome a trustee who can represent and inspire early-career scientists at such an important time for the sector."