We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. 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. We strongly suggest that if you are asking UKRI to add your organisation to the Funding Service to enable you to apply to this Opportunity, you also create an organisation Administration Account. This will be needed to allow the acceptance and management of any grant that might be offered to you.
- 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. You should:
- 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)
- ensure files are smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
Watch our research office webinars about the 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 references 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 9 January 2025 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.
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
We will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity on our website: awarded research grants. 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 equipment will enable
- aims and objectives
- potential 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
Only list one individual as project lead.
The project lead and project co-lead have replaced the principal investigator and co-investigator roles, respectively. Please see the full descriptions of these new harmonised set of role types being used in the Funding Service.
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.
Research technical professionals
A research technical professional 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
Application questions
Purpose
Word limit: 1,500
What is the equipment, why is it needed, and why should BBSRC support it?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
To describe the equipment you are requesting:
- complete the Equipment Classification table (see ‘Supporting documents’ in the ‘Additional information’ section) and paste this table into the text box
Explain how the proposed equipment:
- is timely, given current trends and context
- meets community demand and need from a diverse and inclusive user base
- enhances and complements existing research capability at a local, regional, or national scale
- meets the strategic aims of BBSRC, UKRI or the government
You may wish to provide a summary of existing facilities beyond the institution, including identification of similar instruments overseas or in industry, outlining reasons why they cannot be utilised for the intended research.
We also recommend including the following to support your response:
- where multi-component equipment is requested, provide a clear diagram or schematic that demonstrates how the equipment operates as a pipeline or platform
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Vision
Word limit: 2250
What are you hoping to achieve with the proposed equipment?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how the proposed equipment will:
- enable high quality, novel or transformative research
- offer training opportunities for the wider community
- if applicable, have measurable impact beyond the immediate team, including on world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment
- lead to potential local and regional impacts, both direct and indirect, and who the beneficiaries might be
Please provide a detailed plan of research that would be enabled by the equipment, with sufficient experimental detail to allow the panel to assess the quality of the research, including preliminary results where possible. Where such data is not available for applications, you should explain why this is the case.
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: 1500
What are your plans to manage the proposed equipment?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
You must include:
- a Gantt chart, or similar, showing a clear project plan, including work plan, milestones, and deliverables
We expect you to show how your approach:
- is feasible, identifying any risks to delivery and appropriate mitigation
- will manage usage of the equipment, providing details of access and usage estimates, particularly where a culture of equipment sharing may extend use to external users
- will ensure the availability of long-term technical support
- supports training and development of Research Technical Professionals
- supports a research environment (in terms of the place, its location, complementary expertise, facilities and relevance to the application) that will contribute to the successful utilisation of the equipment
- has considered equality, diversity and inclusion, including equitable access, in the design and planned use of the asset to maximise benefit to the UK biosciences community
The following can also be included to support your response:
- data and figures that show current or expected usage of existing and requested equipment.
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Sustainability
Word limit: 1500
What steps have you taken to ensure the sustainability (economic, environmental and social) of your proposed asset?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
For the sustainability, explain how the proposed equipment:
- is as economically, environmentally and socially sustainable as possible
- will have its lifetime maximised, including stating what the expected lifetime is and, where relevant, how the asset will be sustainably decommissioned
Within the Sustainability section we also expect you to explain:
- how long-term operational and maintenance costs, including staffing, will be supported
- how the proposed asset is complementary to UKRI or host research organisation carbon reduction targets
- if relevant, how the proposed asset contributes to a broader approach to environmental sustainability, such an enhancing biodiversity or clean air, as well as reducing carbon emissions
Applicant and team capability to deliver
Word limit: 2000
Why are you the right individual or team to procure and manage the proposed equipment?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Evidence of how you and your team have:
- the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage)
- the right balance of skills and expertise
- the appropriate leadership and management skills 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 2000 words: 1,500 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 to 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 below. You should 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 following key skills each team member brings.
Contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge
Examples might include:
- contributions to and skills acquired from relevant past projects, experience in particular methods or technologies and key outputs such as data sets, software, and research and policy publications. In each case, summarise the relevance to the proposed project
The development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships
Examples might include:
- provisions made for training and development opportunities that will benefit the individuals employed, project management, supervision, mentoring or line management contributions critical to the success of a team or team members or where you exerted strategic leadership in shaping the direction of a team, organisation, company, or institution
Contributions to the wider research and innovation community
Examples might include:
- how you have contributed to wider collaborations and networks across disciplines, institutions, or countries, commitments such as editing, reviewing and committee work, positions of responsibility, and activities which have contributed to the improvement of research integrity or culture, or examples where you have shown visionary strategic leadership in influencing a research agenda
Contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit
Examples might include:
- engagement across the public and private sectors or with the wider public, past projects that have contributed to policy development or public understanding, and other impacts across research, policy, practice and business, and other examples of, and how you have ensured your outputs reach and influence relevant audiences
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).
You should complete this section as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.
Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
Word limit: 500
What are the ethical and RRI implications and issues relating to the proposed use of the equipment?
You should consider ethical and RRI issues that may arise at each stage of the project delivery. For ALERT specifically, you should demonstrate how you have considered ethics and RRI from initial procurement processes, through to the use and management of the equipment.
Please see UKRI’s guidance on ethical research and innovation for more information.
If you do not think that the proposed equipment 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
If you are collecting or using data you should identify:
- any legal and ethical considerations of collecting, releasing or storing the data (including consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security and other ethical considerations and, in particular, strategies to not preclude further reuse of data)
- formal information standards that your proposed work will comply with
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Resources and cost justification
Word limit: 1500
What will you need to procure to deliver the proposed equipment and how much will it cost?
Complete the Cost summary table (see ‘Supporting documents’ in the ‘Additional info’ section) and paste the table into the text box.
The information provided in this table should match your equipment quotes. If you are unable to obtain three quotes, please explain why in this section.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Justify the application’s costs, in particular:
- details of the equipment requested
- details of the service or maintenance service requested (if applicable)
- details of any cash contributions to the equipment from other sources
- details of any in-kind contributions to the equipment
- reasons for your preferred equipment (versus other options)
- reasons for requesting a particular specification of equipment or a particular manufacturer
Overall, assessors want you to demonstrate how the funding you anticipate needing for your proposed equipment:
- is comprehensive, appropriate, and justified
- represents the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
- maximises potential outcomes and impacts
Your organisation’s support
Word limit: 1000
Provide details of support from your research organisation.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide a Statement of Support from your research organisation detailing why the proposed equipment is needed. 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 application.
Assessors will be looking for a strong statement of commitment from your research organisation. This should come from a Head of Department, Director or equivalent senior position, to provide the necessary assurance for the equipment being situated within the facility/institution.
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 Funding Service on the actual application.
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.
Project partners are therefore distinct from the intended user base of the equipment, described in the Vision section above. Project partners should only include those contributing to the successful establishment of the equipment, rather than researchers intending to use the equipment.
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.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter N/A. 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 page limit is one side of A4 per partner
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.
Data management and sharing
Word limit: 500
How will you manage and share data collected or acquired through the proposed research?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide a data management plan that clearly details how you will comply with UKRI’s published data sharing policy, which includes detailed guidance notes.
Trusted Research and Innovation
Word limit: 100
Does the proposed equipment 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 (TR&I), including:
- list the countries your international project partners, 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 NSI Act are involved list the areas
- details of proposed international interactions, regardless of whether these relate to areas covered by the 17 sensitive areas in the National Security & Investment Act 2021
If your proposed work does not involve international collaboration, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
We may contact you following submission of your application 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 manage these risks.
