We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.
The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.
Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.
To apply
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
- Confirm you are the project lead.
- Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email support@funding-service.ukri.org
Please allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service.
- Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.
- Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
- Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
- Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant:
- use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
- insert each new image onto a new line
- provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
- files must be smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
Watch our research office webinars about the new Funding Service.
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
References
Applications should be self-contained, and hyperlinks should only be used to provide links directly to reference information. To ensure the information’s integrity is maintained, where possible, persistent identifiers such as digital object identifiers should be used. Assessors are not required to access links to carry out assessment or recommend a funding decision. You should use your discretion when including reference and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.
References should be included in the appropriate question section of the application and be easily identifiable by the assessors, for example Smith, Research Paper, 2019.
You must not include links to web resources to extend your application.
Deadline
BBSRC must receive your application by 7 May 2024 at 4:00pm UK time.
You will not be able to apply after this time.
Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.
Joint proposals via separate linked submissions are not permitted. It is the responsibility of the project lead and their research organisation to make the submission on behalf of all investigators.
Following the submission of your application to the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.
Personal data
Processing personal data
BBSRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.
We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.
Publication of outcomes
BBSRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity on this funding finder page in due course.
If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.
Summary
Word limit: 550
In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.
We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:
- opinion-formers
- policymakers
- the public
- the wider research community
Guidance for writing a summary
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
- context
- the research the infrastructure, facility or resource will enable
- aims and objectives
- potential user communities, applications and benefits
Core team
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
- project lead (PL)
- project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
- researcher co-lead (RcL)
- specialist
- professional enabling staff
- research and innovation associate
- technician
- visiting researcher
Only list one individual as project lead.
A research technical professional or research software engineer can be listed as a project lead or project co-lead, provided that:
- their appointment is resourced from the central funds of their research organisation at the time of application
- their level of responsibilities and duties is appropriate to a person with substantial research experience
- their contract extends beyond the duration of the project
The researcher co-lead role has replaced the research co-investigator role previously used in Je-S grant applications. They will be an individual who merits appropriate recognition for making a substantial contribution to the formulation and development of the application and will be closely involved with the project. They will be employed on the project by and based at the institutions of the project lead or any project co-leads.
Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.
Application questions
Vision
Word limit: 1,700
What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how your proposed work:
- is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s)
- has the potential to advance current understanding, or generate new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area
- is timely given current trends, context, and needs
- impacts world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment
Include the following in your statement:
- the uniqueness and expected added value of the proposed resource to the UK bioscience research community and infrastructure landscape
- how the resource relates to past and current resources in the subject area in both the UK and abroad
- full details of the resource and an overview of the associated objectives. Details on how these objectives are delivered should be included in the Approach section
- a description of the types of research that will be enabled by the resource
- consideration of the potential impact on the scientific community and other possibly dependent resources if the resource did not exist
- only if applicable, relevance of the proposed work to the plant health spotlight
In your vision, you should also clearly identify which of the following categories your proposed resource falls under, and expand on the relevant points raised below:
- establishment of a new and innovative resource that will be beneficial to a broader BBSRC user base. Explain why a new resource is needed and what unique and important features it will offer
- maturation and subsequent maintenance of a project-based resource into a community-based one. Briefly explain the background to the resource, current usage, proposed changes and the benefits this will lead to for the research community
- further development or essential maintenance of an existing community resource, with well-established access mechanisms. Explain current usage and how this project will increase its relevance, quality and utility, for example:
- by enabling the resource to support FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) principles
- by enabling new uses, for example metadata enrichment for machine learning and AI approaches
- association, or integration, of distinct resources. Explain current usage and how the proposed plans will create an upgraded resource with a greater value than the sum of the parts
References may be included within this section.
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Approach
Word limit: 4,400
How are you going to deliver your proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how you have designed your approach so that it:
- is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives
- is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed
- uses a clearly written and transparent methodology (if applicable)
- summarises the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed (if applicable)
- will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts
- describes how your, and if applicable your team’s, research environment (in terms of the place and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work
Include the following when describing your approach:
- measurable targets against which the outcome of the work will be assessed
- significant technical details for the development, maintenance or enhancement of the resource, indicating how this is of internationally exceptional quality
- any proposed research efforts and how they directly facilitate development of the resource (if applicable)
- if the focus is on maintaining an existing resource instead of suggesting further development, provide evidence of why significant upgrades are not required at this time and detail why the resource needs continued support to maintain world-leading functionality (if applicable)
Describe the specific contribution of each applicant to the proposed resource:
- their scientific contributions, for example, research field and specialist knowledge, experience, resource management expertise, technical and data analysis expertise
- their role and responsibilities, for example, managerial, leadership, mentoring
- references to specific work packages are recommended
- highlight where applicants will work collaboratively to deliver specific project requirements
- include clear time commitments for each applicant
There is no need to duplicate information included in the ‘Applicant and team capability to deliver’ section.
References may be included within this section.
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
A project Gannt chart is compulsory and should be inserted as an image at the very end of this section. The Gannt chart should identify appropriate deliverables, responsibilities and time points for each objective.
Community demand: letters (or emails) of support
Letters (or emails) of support demonstrating community demand are mandatory for BBR.
Upload a single PDF of maximum 8MB containing a maximum of 10 letters or emails of support. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only. Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
The letters should give an indication of community demand for the resource in question, demonstrating the breadth of research and the high-quality science relevant to BBSRC remit that the resource would underpin.
Add the following details for each letter:
- the organisation name (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)
- contact name of the signatory
Letters of support aimed at demonstrating community demand should:
- outline the uniqueness and expected added value of the proposed resource to the UK bioscience research community and infrastructure landscape
- clearly explain the impact and benefit of the proposed resource on the writer’s research and the associated community
- if possible, explain where this supported research has already demonstrated or could have potential for particular scientific, economic or societal impact
- help to demonstrate the breadth of the relevant user community
Letters of support that fail to do so, in particular template letters indicating generic support without identifying a particular usage, are of negligible value for the assessment and should not be submitted. Carefully chosen letters containing relevant evidence of the requirement or benefit to be gained, are of greater value than large numbers of letters.
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.
Applicant and team capability to deliver
Word limit: 1,650
Why are you the right individual or team to successfully deliver the proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Evidence of how you, and if relevant your team, have:
- the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the proposed work
- the right balance of skills and expertise to cover the proposed work
- the appropriate leadership and management skills to deliver the work and your approach to develop others
- contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
The word count for this section is 1,650 words: 1,150 words to be used for R4RI modules (including references) and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.
Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you and, if relevant, your team (project and project co-leads, researchers, technicians, specialists, partners and so on) have and how this will help deliver the proposed work. You can include individuals’ specific achievements but only choose past contributions that best evidence their ability to deliver this work.
Complete this section using the R4RI module headings listed. Use each heading once and include a response for the whole team, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI. You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills each team member brings:
- contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge
- the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships
- contributions to the wider research and innovation community
- contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit
Additions
Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences, or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them).
Complete this as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.
There is no need to duplicate information included in the ‘Approach’ section.
UKRI has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new Funding Service.
For full details, see Eligibility as an individual.
References may be included within this section.
Project partners
Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.
A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct (cash) or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time or use of facilities.
Add the following project partner details:
- the organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)
- the project partner contact name and email address
- the type of contribution (direct or in-direct) and its monetary value
If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Project partners: letters (or emails) of support
Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the Project Partner section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.
Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter N/A.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Each letter or email you provide should:
- confirm the partner’s commitment to the project
- clearly explain the value, relevance, and possible benefits of the work to them
- describe any additional value that they bring to the project
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the project partners’ section.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Management strategy
Word limit: 500
How do you plan to manage the resource?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
- resources will be expected to have governance arrangements appropriate for the oversight and successful delivery of the project’s complexity
- provide details about the project’s management and advisory structure
- provide details of the approach to project and risk management, and the monitoring strategy for tracking progress of the proposed programme
- provide details on how demand and access requests will be managed, and what support will be provided to the users of the resource
- an advisory board is required for all projects, which is independent from both the academic institutions and project partners involved in the proposal. Provide information on the proposed membership of this advisory board and how it will be used
- provide details on how the resource user perspective and their needs will be considered, including how feedback will be sought and subsequently used to inform the management of the resource
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Data management and sharing
Word limit: 1,500
How will you manage and share data collected or acquired as part of the proposed resource?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide a data management plan using the BBR DMP template structure that clearly details how your proposed resource will comply with UKRI’s published data sharing policy, which includes detailed guidance notes.
Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)
Word limit: 500
Does the proposed work involve international collaboration in a sensitive research or technology area?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Demonstrate how your proposed international collaboration relates to trusted research and innovation, including:
- list the countries your international project co-leads, project partners and visiting researchers, or other collaborators are based in
- if international collaboration is involved, explain whether this project is relevant to one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act
- if one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act are involved, please identify which areas
If your proposed work does not involve any international collaboration, answer ‘n/a’ here.
We may ask you to provide additional information about how your proposed project will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.
Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
Word limit: 500
What are the ethical or RRI implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:
- the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations
- how you will manage these considerations
Consider in particular if the following aspects are relevant to your proposed resource:
- genetic and biological risk
- research involving the use of animals
- conducting research with animals overseas
- research involving human participation
- research involving human tissues or biological samples
Genetic and biological risk
Word limit: 700
Does your proposed research involve any genetic or biological risk?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In respect of animals, plants or microbes, are you proposing to:
- use genetic modification as an experimental tool, like studying gene function in a genetically modified organism
- release genetically modified organisms
- ultimately develop commercial and industrial genetically modified outcomes
If yes, provide the name of any required approving body and state if approval is already in place. If it is not, provide an indicative timeframe for obtaining the required approval.
Identify the organism or organisms as a plant, animal or microbe and specify the species and which of the three categories the research relates to.
Identify the genetic and biological risks resulting from the proposed research, their implications, and any mitigation you plan on taking. Assessors will want to know you have considered the risks and their implications to justify that any identified risks do not outweigh any benefits of the proposed research.
If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Research involving the use of animals
Does your proposed research involve the use of vertebrate animals or other organisms covered by the Animals Scientific Procedures Act?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If you are proposing research that requires using animals, download and complete the Animals Scientific Procedures Act template (DOCX, 74KB), which contains all the questions relating to research using vertebrate animals or other Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulated organisms.
Save it as a PDF. The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Conducting research with animals overseas
Word limit: 700
Will any of the proposed animal research be conducted overseas?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If you are proposing to conduct overseas research, it must be conducted in accordance with welfare standards consistent with those in the UK, as in Responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research, page 14. Ensure all named applicants in the UK and overseas are aware of this requirement.
If your application proposes animal research to be conducted overseas, you must provide a statement in the text box. Depending on the species involved, you may also need to upload a completed template for each species listed.
Statement
Provide a statement to confirm that:
- all named applicants are aware of the requirements and have agreed to abide by them
- this overseas research will be conducted in accordance with welfare standards consistent with the principles of UK legislation
- the expectation set out in Responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research will be applied and maintained
- appropriate national and institutional approvals are in place
Templates
Overseas studies proposing to use non-human primates, cats, dogs, equines or pigs will be assessed during NC3Rs review of research applications. Provide the required information by completing the template from the question ‘Research involving the use of animals’.
For studies involving other species, select, download, and complete the relevant Word checklist or checklists from this list:
Save your completed template as a PDF and upload to the Funding service. If you use more than one checklist template, save it as a single PDF.
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.
If conducting research with animals overseas does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Research involving human participation
Word limit: 700
Will the project involve the use of human subjects or their personal information?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If you are proposing research that requires the involvement of human subjects, provide the name of any required approving body and whether approval is already in place.
Justify the number and the diversity of the participants involved, as well as any procedures.
Provide details of any areas of substantial or moderate severity of impact.
If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Research involving human tissues or biological samples
Word limit: 700
Does your proposed research involve the use of human tissues, or biological samples?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If you are proposing work that involves human tissues or biological samples, provide the name of any required approving body and whether approval is already in place.
Justify the use of human tissue or biological samples specifying the nature and quantity of the material to be used and its source.
If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Facilities
Word limit: 500
Does your proposed project require the support and use of a facility?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If you will need to use a facility, follow your proposed facility’s normal access request procedures. Ensure you have prior agreement so that if you are offered funding, they will support the use of their facility on your project.
For each requested facility you will need to provide the:
- name of facility, copied and pasted from the facility information list (DOCX, 35KB)
- proposed usage or costs, or costs per unit where indicated on the facility information list
- confirmation you have their agreement where required
If you will not need to use a facility, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Resources and cost justification
Word limit: 1,000
What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular:
- project staff
- significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences)
- any equipment that will cost more than £10,000
- any consumables beyond typical requirements, or that are required in exceptional quantities
- all facilities and infrastructure costs
- all resources that have been costed as ‘Exceptions’
Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources. Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work:
- are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified
- represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
- maximise potential outcomes and impacts
- evidence appropriate consideration for alternative long-term sustainability options beyond BBSRC funding
Your organisation’s support
Word limit: 500
Provide details of support from your research organisation and project co-lead research organisations.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide a statement of support from all participating research organisations detailing why they are best placed to support the proposed project. This should include details of any matched funding that will be provided to support the activity and any additional support that might add value to the work.
Assessors will be looking for a strong statement of commitment from your research organisations.
BBSRC recognises that in some instances, this information may be provided by the Research Office, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) or equivalent, or a combination of both.
You must also include the following details:
- a significant person’s name and their position, from the TTO or Research Office, or both
- office address or web link
Upload details are provided within the service on the actual application.
We do not require separate institutional letters of support as attachments. By submitting your application to us, you are confirming that your institutions are supportive of and committed to your project.
