UKRI Funding Service
The pioneer awards opportunity is being run on the new UKRI Funding Service. You cannot apply for this opportunity on the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system.
If you do not already have an account with the UKRI Funding Service, you will be able to create one by selecting the ‘start application’ button at the start of this page.
Creating an account is a 2-minute process requiring you to verify your email address and set a password.
If you are a member of an organisation with a research office that we do not have contact details for, we will contact them to enable administrator access. This provides:
- oversight of every UKRI Funding Service application opened on behalf of your organisation
- the ability to review and submit applications
Research offices that have not already received an invitation to open an account should email support@funding-service.ukri.org
To hear more about the role of research office professionals in the application process, please see a recording of a recent research office webinar.
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.
Stage 1: expression of interest
The expression of interest is intended to ensure proposals are appropriately targeted to this funding opportunity and to provide an early indication of the level of demand, team composition and research areas.
We encourage potential applicants to submit an expression of interest as early as possible, to allow sufficient time for consideration of any feedback prior to submission of their full application.
Submitting your expression of interest
When completing your application on the UKRI Funding Service, you will be asked to complete a series of sections. Information on these sections, including guidance to what assessors are looking for, is provided below.
You must complete the first 2 sections of the application, ‘Project summary’ and ‘Applicants’, as detailed below.
Only the principal investigator can edit and complete the application.
If you wish to develop the application collaboratively, we recommend working offline. You can copy and paste text from standard word processing software into the UKRI Funding Service textboxes.
Once you have completed your application, the service enables you to send it to your organisation’s research office for review.
Your organisation’s research office will be responsible for the final submission of the application to BBSRC. Please ensure that you provide your research office with sufficient time to make the final submission.
No financial information is required at stage 1.
Deadline
BBSRC must receive your expression of interest by 10 January 2023 at 4pm.
The submitted application will be reviewed by programme managers, who will provide initial feedback on the suitability of your proposal for the opportunity.
Expression of interest applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
Stage 2: full proposal
The full application is only open to principal investigators who have submitted an expression of interest (stage 1) application and who have received feedback that the proposal is suitable for the opportunity.
It will only become live in the service from 11 January 2023.
Deadline
BBSRC must receive your full application by 14 March 2023 at 4pm.
You will not be able to apply after this time.
You should ensure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines that may be in place.
If you are eligible to apply for stage 2, you will be able to edit the first 2 sections you submitted for stage 1.
Section guidance
External links are only permitted in the ‘References’ section. Your application should be a self-contained description of the proposed project and should not depend on additional information.
Project summary
In plain English, provide a summary of your proposal. Describe your proposed work in terms of its:
- context
- aims and objectives
- fit to the scope of this opportunity
This summary may be made publicly available on external facing websites, so write with disclosure in mind and ensure it can be understood by readers of all levels.
Word count: 600
Applicants
List the key members of your team and assign them roles, for example:
- principal investigator
- co-investigator
- researcher (equivalent to researcher co-investigator)
- technician (research technical professional)
- other
The UKRI Funding Service does not list ‘researcher co-investigator’ as a role. Instead, select ‘researcher’ for team members carrying out this role.
Vision
Question: what is the vision for your proposed research?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
You should:
- introduce the topic of research and explain its academic and wider context
- highlight the overall aims of the proposed project, explaining its relevance to frontier bioscience: understanding the rules of life
- justify why your proposal requires a pioneer award
- explain how the proposed research constitutes a significant departure from current lines of investigation in the field, or explores an entirely new one
Additionally, describe how the proposed research, if successful, will:
- generate novel hypotheses, concepts, approaches, or methodologies, beyond what is currently regarded as state-of-the-art in the field
- lead to a distinctive advance in the current field or will open entirely new research directions,
- have a positive impact on the field in the longer-term
Number your references in this section using a superscript citation style. Then include the details of these references in a corresponding list in the ‘References’ section of this application.
If you need to complement your written narrative with any essential figures, the system explains how they can be uploaded as a single PDF attachment (maximum 8MB).
Word count: 1000
Approach
Question: how are you going to deliver your proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
You should:
- provide clearly defined, ambitious, and adventurous objectives
- describe a suitable programme of work to achieve the project aims, indicating the experimental and data analytical research to be undertaken
- identify any particularly innovative, unconventional methodologies or approaches that will be explored
- describe key milestones where you may need to make decisions, track, or evaluate progress
- demonstrate your awareness of any potential challenges, risks, or limitations of the proposed project
- describe any alternative approaches, or the learning potential in the event of negative results
It may be helpful to include a diagram that provides a visual overview. This can be uploaded as a single PDF attachment (maximum 8MB).
Number your references in this section using a superscript citation style. Then include the details of these references in a corresponding list, in the ‘References’ section of this application.
Word count: 1500 words
Team capability
Question: how is your team’s skills and knowledge, and your research environment, suited to the delivery of the proposed research?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
This section is focused on describing specific capabilities. It should not contain information on prior publications, positions held, preliminary data, or other elements of track record.
You should:
- demonstrate your awareness of the needs of the project so that the panel can gauge your broad potential to undertake it
- describe the investigators relevant skills and knowledge relating to the research topic, for example: experience in particular methods, organisms, or technologies
- describe the facilities, equipment, or resources that are available
- describe the role of any other collaborators, project partners or subcontractors
If you have project partners and are successful in securing funding, we will seek confirmation of their support and what it comprises.
Word count: 750
References
Question: what references do you want to include to support the proposed project?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
You should only include references which are essential to evidence the written narratives within other sections. BBSRC does not expect an extensive list of references given the nature of this funding opportunity. You may include hyperlinks within this section.
You should:
- present any essential references as a numbered list, with the numbers referring to the superscript citations from previous sections
- provide the digital object identifier for the references
Word count: 300
Full economic cost and justification of resources
Question: what will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Download the economic costing template (DOCX, 96KB), complete it and then upload it as a PDF as explained in the service.
You should:
- use the textbox to explain why the resources requested are appropriate, considering the nature and complexity of the proposed research.
- include a statement in the textbox confirming that your organisation has agreed to offer support for equipment over £10,000, if applicable
BBSRC may request formal confirmation of your organisation’s support, if you are successful.
Word count: 1200
Animal usage
Question: 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 not, write ‘N/A’ in the text box, mark this section as complete and move on to the next section.
If you are proposing research that requires using animals, write ‘Yes’ in the text box. Then, download and complete the animal research questionnaire (DOCX, 74KB), which contains all the questions relating to research using vertebrate animals or other Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulated organisms. Then, upload it as a PDF.
Studies proposing to use non-human primates, cats, dogs, equines, or pigs, will be reviewed during the NC3Rs review of research proposals. This is to ensure that plans for any animal usage are appropriate.
Word count: 10
Conducting research with animals overseas
Question: if you propose to conduct research using animals, will any of this be overseas?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If not, write ‘N/A’ in the text box, mark this section as complete and move on to the next section.
If you are proposing work that requires the use of animals overseas, it must be conducted in accordance with welfare standards consistent with those in the UK, as per the responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research.
You should ensure all named applicants in the UK and overseas are aware of this requirement and provide a statement in the textbox 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 the responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research guidance will be applied and maintained
- appropriate national and institutional approvals are in place
Overseas studies proposing to use non-human primates, cats, dogs, equines, or pigs, will be reviewed during the NC3Rs review of research proposals. NC3Rs will use the template you have completed and uploaded to the ‘animal usage’ section of the application.
For studies involving other vertebrate species not listed above, you should select and complete the relevant checklists of additional questions on the use of animals overseas. Then, upload this as a PDF attachment in this section. If you need to complete more than one checklist, you should merge them into a single PDF.
Word count: 750
Other ethical considerations
Question: excluding animal usage, what are the other ethical considerations associated with your proposed research?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If there are no other ethical considerations, write ‘N/A’ into the text box, mark this section as complete and move on to the next section.
Provide information on, and justification for:
- research involving genetic or biological risk, for example research involving genetically modified organisms
- research involving human tissues or biological samples, including the nature and quantity of the material used and its source
- research involving human participation, including the numbers and diversity of the participants involved and any procedures
- potential impacts of the proposed research on the environment or society in general
State the names of any bodies you will require approval from and whether you already have it. If it is not yet in place, give an indicative timeframe for when it will be.
Word count: 750
Data management and sharing
Question: 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 which should clearly detail how you will comply with BBSRC’s data sharing policy.
Word count: 750
Eligibility statement
Question: confirm that you meet BBSRC’s standard eligibility criteria
What the assessors are looking for in your response:
Principal and co-investigators must meet our standard eligibility criteria, as outlined in BBSRC’s guidance for applicants. You should:
- state each team member’s current salaried position
- state whether their current contract outlasts the period of the grant or will be extended beyond the period of the grant, should your proposal be successful
- state whether they are resident in the UK for at least 183 days per year
BBSRC reserves the right to reject your application before review if members of your team are not eligible. We may contact you for additional assurance if the eligibility of a team member is unclear from the information provided.
Word count: 300
