When applying to the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) for a research grant you must:
- ensure that principal and co-investigators are eligible to receive funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and BBSRC. Check if you’re eligible
- complete the grant application in accordance with the Je-S handbook
- ensure you have obtained the permission of any other person named on the proposal form (for example, any co-investigators or project partners) for the provision of their personal information to UKRI and the processing of their data by UKRI for the purpose of assessing the application and management of any funding awarded
- meet deadlines
- quote the research grant reference number allocated to your application in any subsequent correspondence.
When a principal applicant submits an application to BBSRC for a research grant they can expect:
- fair and efficient handling of the application throughout the assessment process
- equal treatment regardless of age, sex, disability, ethnic background or any other protected characteristic
- notification of the outcome of the application, normally within 26 weeks from the cut-off date and within three calendar months of the decision date.
Applicants must submit an interim report on any related BBSRC research grant (excluding those under six months old and training grants) currently held or completed in the last 12 months on which they have been the principal investigator. Applications received which do not include this report may not be accepted until such a report is available. This is in addition to the reporting of research outcomes within Researchfish.
Applicants who intend to undertake research work on private or government property must obtain consent from the owner or the organisation before submitting an application.
Research proposals are expected to comply with BBSRC’s data sharing policy and all proposals must include a data management plan.
The research councils’ Good Research Resource Hub outlines the expectation that applicants for research council funding are expected to:
- observe the highest standards of integrity, honesty and professionalism
- embed good practice in every aspect of their work.
As part of this, any private, personal or commercial interests relating to an application for funding to the research councils must be declared in a covering letter included as an application attachment. More information on policies, standards, guidance and support on research integrity can be found in our good research resource hub.
The primary focus of your research should be within BBSRC’s remit. You might also want to consider how your research contributes to BBSRC’s research portfolio and priorities. BBSRC works with other research councils to make sure that funding applications are assessed by the right council. For full details, see BBSRCs remit programmes and priorities pages.
BBSRC applicant outreach
In an effort to maximise the impact of our applicant outreach activities, we are taking a targeted approach to delivering research organisation visits. Targeted research organisations are identified based upon their interest in BBSRC funding opportunities and potential to enhance success rates. This is to ensure that limited resources for in-person applicant outreach are deployed effectively. We are also enhancing our online guidance and providing UK wide webinars to ensure that all our applicants are properly equipped when applying for funding.
We may also be able to provide additional support through shorter remote interactions, for example if your organisation is holding a research development workshop. Please direct any queries to applicantoutreach@bbsrc.ukri.org
Last updated: 12 November 2024