The International Partnering Award Plus (IPAP) scheme aims to:
- pump prime collaborations between the UK and Canada in antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
- build readiness in the community to take on future joint opportunities.
Funding is available to build links with overseas researchers and technical specialists and for UK research costs. The IPAP funding opportunity is conceived to facilitate partnerships beyond what is possible with the International Partnering Awards (IPA) scheme.
Scientific scope
Proposals are welcome in both fundamental and applied bioscience that aim to combat AMR in collaboration with partners in Canada.
Cross-disciplinary proposals that have the potential to enhance impact arising from the research are welcome. However, a significant majority of the proposal must be within BBSRC remit.
In particular, BBSRC encourages applications in the priority areas listed below.
All applications should describe a credible route to translation within the case for support, which may either form a part of the proposal, or be subject to further research and funding beyond the lifetime of the proposal.
Projects must be primarily relevant to combating AMR in both the UK and Canada.
Proposals should involve at least one or more of the following microbial reservoirs:
- farmed animals, including fish
- companion animals
- crops, including trees
- managed agricultural environments, including farm soils and animal housing.
BBSRC encourages the active involvement, including through proposal co-design, of UK and Canadian:
- industrial partners
- practitioners, such as farmers or veterinarians
- policymakers, including regulators, charities, government departments and industry associations.
Priority research areas
We encourage proposals in the following priority areas:
- magnitude and trends in the AMR burden in farm animals, crops and their associated environments
- identification of drivers for antimicrobial usage (AMU)
- antimicrobial and AMR transmission between animal, plant, human and environmental reservoirs, including determinants of transmission and the impact of alternatives to antimicrobials
- impact of transmission on human health; risk analysis of acceptable AMU and AMR transmission levels in livestock agriculture and its environment, including in relation to food safety
- impact of AMR on food security
- comparative research in the above topics between the UK and Canada.
Proposals may involve the use of existing or new data. Technological advances in support of the priority research areas are in the scope of this funding opportunity but this is not a priority area in itself.
Research areas that are out of scope
Research areas that are out of scope include:
- anthelmintic drugs and resistance
- projects which primarily consider wild animals or wild plants (except as transmission vectors).
Early career researcher and technician collaboration
Collaborative activities are not limited to the principal investigator and we encourage the involvement of early career researchers and technicians within the project.
UKRI aims to enable a dynamic, diverse and inclusive system of research and innovation in the UK, that gives the opportunity for everyone to participate and to benefit.
People are the heart of this system. We encourage principal investigators to consider the involvement of the broader research base when developing applications for this funding opportunity, explaining their approach in the case for support.
Further detail on the breadth of the technical, practical, analytical and management skills which technicians contribute, may be found within the UKRI Technician Commitment Action Plan.
What we will fund
The full economic cost of your collaboration may be up to £187,500. BBSRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost, so your award will not exceed £150,000.
The collaborative activity must last for 18 to 24 months.
You are encouraged to obtain additional funding to complement this award. This could be direct funding from other sources, or funding in-kind from host organisations or collaborators.
The award may be used to fund costs associated with collaborative research activities.
For UK participants, the grant will cover:
- UK research costs
- facilities costs in the UK and Canada.
The grant may be used to fund partnership building costs for participants in either country, such as:
- travel between the UK and Canada, including subsistence and accommodation costs
- venue hire, workshops and networking costs.
In addition, direct research costs that may be covered in the UK include:
- consumables
- salary costs.
Costs to cover additional caring responsibilities are also eligible.
What we will not fund
We will not fund:
- international project partner costs such as salary and estates costs, except for travel and subsistence
- conference attendance. Award funds cannot be used to pay for conference accommodation and costs such as registration, but for convenience and cost efficiency BBSRC does allow award holders to arrange collaborative meetings alongside conferences at which their partners are already present.
Support available for people with caring responsibilities
You can request additional care costs as part of an IPAP grant proposal. These may cover the additional care requirements for visits, meetings and overseas travel undertaken as part of the supported activity.
Costs which form part of someone’s normal care arrangements must not be included and making arrangements for the care to be provided is the responsibility of the carer themselves.
Costs should be reasonable and outlined in the ‘other directly incurred costs’ section of the Je-S application. Funds for supporting people with caring responsibilities should form part of the overall budget envelope.
COVID-19 travel implications
You must follow the travel advice set out by your institution and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office before departure and should check Canada’s travel guidance when preparing an application.
BBSRC will not cover the cost of any time spent in quarantine due to travel on an IPAP.
How to present costs
Applications should be made at current costs in accordance with subsistence and travel regulations at the applicant’s institutions.
For each main activity, indicative costs should be shown within the Je-S form being submitted.
How awards will be paid
BBSRC may index approved costs, therefore awards made will include an allowance for inflation. All resources requested in the application must be fully justified.
BBSRC will pay the award directly to the lead UK organisation, which, where necessary, will be responsible for disbursing the funds to the co-investigators.
Reporting requirements
All grant holders must use Researchfish to record key findings and specific outputs from their grants. Grant holders can enter information into Researchfish at any time throughout the year and submit during the annual submission period.
Further details are available in our information on reporting your project outcomes.
UKRI may contact the grant holder and request more information on their grant for use in UKRI publicity or for use in ongoing office projects. Grant holders should make reasonable efforts to provide UKRI with information where requested.
Data sharing
BBSRC carries out the processing of personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The information you provide will only be used by BBSRC for the purpose of carrying out reviewing and assessment for making a funding decision. By providing your information you are consenting to its use as detailed above.
BBSRC is committed to protecting personal information and will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect the information supplied by the applicant. Further relevant information is available in the privacy notice and the data protection policy.
