Assessment process
Applications will be subject to external expert peer review and you will be provided with an opportunity to respond to reviewers’ comments.
You will be able to suggest up to four peer reviewers as part of the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system proforma.
Overall assessment will be conducted by a panel of experts covering scientific, managerial, technical and user aspects of resource provision. You should expect a decision within eight weeks of the panel meeting.
We do not seek to implement a sift, but BBSRC reserves the right to do so if required to moderate demand to a manageable level.
New and existing resources
Applications for both new and existing resources are assessed as part of the same process. While similar in principle, the potential and promise of a new resource and the demonstrable user need of an existing resource are not necessarily directly comparable.
A new resource is defined as a proposal where the project focus is on development of a new resource that:
- is needed by a community of researchers in the BBSRC remit
- does not currently exist elsewhere.
This would usually also apply to the development of a project-based resource into a community-based one.
An existing resource is a proposal with an existing user base where project focus is either on further development or essential maintenance to safeguard functionality, whatever is required to retain ‘state-of-the-art’ functionality for the community in question.
An existing resource does not need to have previously received funding by BBSRC or the bioinformatics and biological resources (BBR) fund.
Assessment criteria
Initially the BBSRC office will assess whether applications are primarily within the remit of BBSRC and fit within the scope of the BBR fund.
Only those proposals falling within scope and primarily within BBSRC’s remit will be sent out to peer review and assessed by the panel. If you’re unsure about fit to BBSRC remit for BBR, please do contact bbr.fund@bbsrc.ukri.org
The panel stage will assess all applications using the following assessment criteria:
- scientific excellence and strategic relevance of the resource
- cost effectiveness, particularly considerations for long-term sustainability beyond BBSRC funding
- potential for economic and social impact beyond the academic community
- fit to the scope of the opportunity
- quality of the overall arrangements for resource management, advisory functions, as well as user access and engagement
- need or demand and potential benefit to the UK academic research community.
Assessment criteria adapted to new or existing resources
To allow for a more nuanced assessment between new and existing resources, the use of the following assessment criteria will be adapted accordingly:
- quality of the overall arrangements for resource management, advisory functions, as well as user access and engagement
- need or demand, and potential benefit to the UK academic research community.
More detail on the criteria can be found in the assessment criteria document (PDF, 63KB).