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11-13 November - 2025 Autumn Symposium and Pre-symposium Workshops: , Burleigh Court, Loughborough. Bookings open 9th July - Book Now


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ISTR  UKBSA Gains International Recognition as IFBA Member

ISTR, incorporating the UK Biosafety Association (UKBSA), is proud to announce its approval as a member of IFBA – the International Federation of Biosafety Associations. This milestone brings international recognition to ISTR's long-standing commitment to biosafety leadership and sharing best practices.

Membership of IFBA will enable ISTR to collaborate with global partners, share best practices, and contribute to international biosafety initiatives, furthering its mission to drive continuous improvements in technology and research health and safety.

          

Serving safety professionals for over 25 years

The Institute serves safety professionals in technology and research including education, industry, government agencies and consultancy.

The aim of the Institute is to enhance the knowledge, competence and professional development of its members through networking, accreditation, knowledge exchange, workshops and symposia, communication with regulators and partnerships with other safety organisations.

Membership is open to safety professionals and Associate Membership is available to anyone whose knowledge and experience do not qualify them as Members but who can show they have a sufficient interest in the activities of ISTR.

The ISTR Executive Committee, made up of elected and co-opted members, manage the affairs of the Institute.

Learn more about ISTR

Upcoming events

    • 11 November 2025
    • 09:00
    • 13 November 2025
    • 15:00
    • Burleigh Court, Off Ashby Road (A512), Loughborough University (West Park), Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3GR
    Register



    ISTR AUTUMN SYMPOSIA and PRE-SYMPOSIA WORKSHOPS

    Theme: Brave New World: Challenges to traditional ways of thinking in research health and safety

    Tuesday 11th - Thursday 13th November 2025

    Burleigh Court Conference Centre, University of Loughborough

    Following last year's successful symposia looking back at 50 years of the HSAWA this year we turn our attention to issues faced today in our working environments which challenge traditional ways of thinking about health and safety.

    This year we are also offering something new, a day of pre-symposium workshops for those who want to learn in greater depth about being an effective safety practitioner, understanding how human factors influence working safely and looking at mental health and wellbeing. The workshops will be led by Rosie Russell and Jon Gawn. You will need to book early as workshop places are limited.

    The Symposium programme is wide-ranging and will enhance delegates' knowledge and understanding of various new sustainability initiatives, use of readily available software to manage safety tasks, and the experience of neurodiverse individuals. Delegates will consider reasonable adjustments for those with mental health issues and work together through a range of tabletop scenario exercises to discover what reasonable adjustments can be made for individuals in various situations.

    We are delighted to welcome Ann Diment, a health and safety practitioner, ambassador for ADHD UK, published author and as our Keynote Speaker. 

    For 2025 we are able to provide a fantastic offer of a 2-day Symposia at Burleigh Court Conference Centre at the University of Loughborough, with accommodation and conference dinner included in a very attractive ticket price. This can be extended to include the Pre-symposium Workshop. 

    Programme of events

    Day 1 Pre-symposium Workshops 
    Sign up for the day and attend a morning and afternoon session. Please note there will be a maximum of 14 places available in each session.

    Tuesday 11th November

    Morning Session 09.00-12.30hrs
    Mental health and wellbeing (Rosie Russell), or
    Coaching skills for safety advisors (Jon Gawn)

    Afternoon Session 13.00-16.00hrs
    Human factors (Rosie Russell), or
    Coaching skills for safety advisors (Jon Gawn)

    Symposium Provisional Programme (tbc)

    Wednesday 12th November

    9.30 Registration, Coffee and Networking

    10.30 Welcome, Andy Minnis (ISTR Chair)

    10.45 LEAF - Researching sustainably is not the same as research into sustainability. Rachel Fairfax, UCL

    11.30 Validating a sustainable alternative to autoclaving. Colin Fricker, Envetec  

    12.15 Lunch & Networking

    14.00 Sustainable Labs Mark Wheatley

    14.45 DIY Safety Systems: Smarter Tools for Leaner Times, David Kemp, University of Nottingham

    15.30 Refreshments, Networking

    16.00 Reasonable adjustments for those with mental health issues. Laura Williams, Thive Law 

    16.30 Close of Day 1

    19.00 Burleigh Court Drinks reception 

    19.30 Symposium Dinner, Burleigh Court

    Thursday 13th November

    09.30 Coffee and Networking

    10.00 Welcome,

    10.15 Experiences with autism. Dev Agarwal, University of York

    11.00 Tabletop scenario exercises - Reasonable adjustments. All

    12.30 Lunch and Networking

    13.15 Keynote address - Neurodiversity. Ann Diment,

    14.30 Closing Remarks. Andy Minnis, ISTR Chair

    15.00 Symposium close

    Symposium Venue: Burleigh Court, Off Ashby Road (A512), Loughborough University (West Park), Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3GR 

    Drinks reception and Symposium Dinner: At Burleigh Court and included in the ticket price.

    Tickets: Earlybird booking (before 15 August) is highly recommended and offers existing ISTR members fantastic value for money.

    Fully inclusive tickets: offer members attendance at the Pre-Symposim Workshop, Symposium, lunch and refreshments during the symposium, attendance at the Conference Drinks Reception and Dinner and two nights Bed and Breakfast accommodation at Burleigh Court on 11/11 and 12/11/25. Numbers of Fully inclusive tickets are strictly limited.

    2-day Symposium tickets: offer exceptional value and includes attendance at the 2-day symposium, lunch and refreshments during the symposium, attendance at the Conference Drinks Reception and Dinner and Bed and Breakfast accommodation at Burleigh Court on Wednesday 12/11/25. 

    Non-member tickets: Non members are very welcome to attend the 2-Day Symposium. If any Workshop tickets remain unsold these may be made available to non-members in early October.

    Sponsors/Trade Stands - please enquire for details to  istr-eventssecretary@istr.org.uk 

    Payment options: Online payment by card is the preferred payment method. Purchase orders are accepted but please remember to select this option when booking and upload a copy of your purchase order at the time of booking to secure your place and avoid disappointment. 

    Accommodation at Burleigh Court: INCLUDED in the ticket price. 

    Final details and refunds:  Bookings close on Monday 13 October (Early bookings required again!) to meet the accommodation and catering requirements. Refunds for cancellations or non-attendance cannot be made after this date. If a delegate cannot attend, a colleague may take their place. Contact istr-eventssecretary@istr.org.uk to discuss. Any refund will be subject to a £25 administration charge.

    Transport: For details of how to reach Burleigh Court please visit  https://www.burleigh-court.co.uk/location/


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Membership Information

The benefits of being a Member or Associate include Members’ rates at ISTR symposia and access to presentations given the symposia, being able to attend our exclusive Members’ only skills workshop and being part of the ISTR discussion forum.