UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service
We are running the funding opportunity on the new UKRI Funding Service. You cannot apply for this funding opportunity on the Joint Electronic Submissions (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.
Watch our research office webinars about the new UKRI Funding Service.
Submitting your application
Applications should be prepared and submitted by the lead research organisation but should be co-created with input from all investigators, and project partners, and should represent the proposed work of the entire consortia.
Only the lead research organisation can apply to UKRI.
To apply:
- Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this page.
- Confirm you are the project lead.
- Sign in or create a UKRI 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.
- Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the ‘How to apply’ section on this funding finder page.
- 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.
As citations can be integral to a case for support, you should balance their inclusion and the benefit they provide against the inclusion of other parts of your answer to each question. Bear in mind that citations, associated reference lists or bibliographies, or both, contribute to and are included in, the word count of the relevant section.
Deadline
BBSRC must receive your application by 5 October 2023 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.
Personal data
Processing personal data:
BBSRC as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your UKRI 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.
Outcomes publication:
BBSRC will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at Transformative Technologies.
If your application is successful, some personal information will be published via the UKRI Gateway to Research.
UKRI Funding Service: section guidance
Summary
In plain English, provide a summary that can be sent to potential reviewers to determine if your proposal is within their field of expertise.
This summary may be made publicly available on external facing websites, so please ensure it can be understood by a variety of readers, for example:
- opinion-formers
- policymakers
- the general public
- the wider research community.
Guidance for writing a summary
Succinctly describe your proposed work in terms of:
- its context
- the challenge the project addresses and how it will be applied to this
- its aims and objectives
- its potential applications and benefits.
Word count: 400
Core team
List the key members of your team and assign them roles, for example:
- project lead (PL)
- project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
- researcher co-lead
- specialist
- professional support staff
- research and innovation associate
- technician
- visiting researcher
Only list one individual as the 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 UKRI 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.
Find out more about UKRI’s new grant roles.
Section: Vision
Question: 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, generates 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
Within the Vision section, we also expect you to:
- highlight how the proposed project directly addresses the scope of the funding opportunity in terms of developing cutting edge enabling research technologies, which have the potential for transformative impact
- explain how the proposed project is essential to sustaining the vibrancy of bioscience discovery research in the UK, with clear identification of timely challenges and opportunities that the technology would help address
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: 1000
Section: Approach
Question: 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
- if applicable, uses a clear and transparent methodology
- describes how your, and if applicable your team’s, research environment (in terms of the place, its location, and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work
Within the Approach section, we also expect you to:
- highlight any original, innovative or particularly unconventional concepts, methodologies or approaches that will be explored.
- Identify where equality, diversity and inclusion principles have been incorporated into the design of the project. One common approach is to reference institutional strategies and policies related to equality, diversity and inclusion and indicate that the proposed project would be delivered in alignment with these activities. Learn more about our equality, diversity and inclusion strategy.
It may be helpful to include a diagram, for example, a GANTT chart, that provides a visual overview of the proposed work.
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
Section: Project partners: contributions
Question: provide details about any project partners’ contributions using the template provided.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If you do not have any project partners, simply add ‘N/A’ into the text box.
If you do have project partners, download and complete the project partner contributions template (DOCX, 52KB) then copy and paste the table within it into the text box.
Ensure you have obtained a prior agreement from project partners that, should you be offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the template.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Word count: 500
Section: Applicant and team capability to deliver
Question: 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 the 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 the modern research environment and the wider community
The word count for this section is 1500 words, with 1000 words to be used for R4RI modules 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 (investigators, researchers, other (technical) staff for example research software engineers, data scientists and so on, and partners), 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 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 past projects, experience in particular methods, organisms 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 individual(s) 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, and / 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 toward 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:
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 as a narrative and you should avoid CV type format.
Word count: 1500
Section: 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 published Data Sharing Policy, which includes detailed guidance notes.
Word count: 500
Section: Ethics and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)
Question: 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.
You should include:
- how environmental sustainability considerations have been incorporated into the design of the proposal.
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 taken to not preclude further reuse of data
- formal information standards with which study will be compliant
Word count: 500
Section: Genetic and Biological Risk
Question: does your proposed research involve any genetic or biological risk?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If not, enter ‘N/A’ into the text box.
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.
Word count: 500
Section: Research involving the use of animals
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, enter ‘N/A’ into the text box.
If you are proposing research that requires using animals, write ‘Yes’ in the text box. Then, download and complete this document (DOCX, 74KB), which contains all the questions relating to research using vertebrate animals or other Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulated organisms. Then, save 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
Section: Conducting research with animals overseas
Question: will any of the proposed animal research be conducted overseas?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If not, enter ‘N/A’ in the text box. If you are proposing to conduct overseas research, it must be conducted in accordance with welfare standards consistent with those in the UK, as per Responsibility in the Use of Animals in Bioscience Research, on page 14.
You should also ensure all named applicants in the UK and overseas are aware of this requirement and provide a statement below 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.
Overseas studies proposing to use non-human primates, cats, dogs, equines, or pigs, will be assessed during NC3Rs review of research proposals. The required information should be provided by completing the template from the question ‘Research Involving the use of animals’.
For studies involving other species listed below, you should select the relevant checklist or checklists from the list below, complete it and save it as a PDF and use the file upload feature to attach it. If you need to complete more than one checklist, you should merge them into a single document and then save it as a PDF before uploading it:
Word count: 250
Section: Research involving human participation
Question: Will the project involve the use of human subjects or their personal information?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If not, enter ‘N/A’ into the text box.
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. Then, 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.
Word count: 500
Section: Research involving human tissues or biological samples
Question: does your proposed research involve the use of human tissues, or biological samples?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If not, enter ‘N/A’ into the text box.
If you’re answering ‘yes’, provide the name of any required approving body and whether approval is already in place.
You should justify the use of human tissue or biological samples, specifying the nature and quantity of the material to be used and its source.
Word count: 500
Section: References
Question: List the references you’ve used to support your application.
What the assessors are looking for in your response:
Ensure your application is a self-contained description. You can provide hyperlinks to relevant publications or online resources. However, assessors are not obliged to access the information they lead to or consider it in their assessment of your application. You must not include links to web resources to extend your application. If linking to web resources, to ensure the information’s integrity is maintained include, where possible, persistent identifiers such as digital object identifiers.
Word count: 300
Section: Facilities
Question: Does your proposed research require the support and use of a facility?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If not, enter N/A into the text box.
If you will need to use a facility, you should follow your proposed facility’s normal access request procedures. Where prior agreement is required, ensure you obtain their agreement that, should you be offered funding, they will support the use of their facility on your project.
In the text box below, for each requested facility you should provide:
- the name of the facility, copied and pasted from this list
- the proposed usage or costs, or costs per unit where indicated on that list
- confirmation you have their agreement where required
See our guidance on using national facilities for more information.
Do not put the facility contact details in your response.
Word count: 250
Section: Resources and cost justification
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
Use the resources and cost summary table to enter the full costs. Include high-level costs only, not a breakdown of individual items. Use the Justification textbox 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
This section should not simply be a list of the resources requested, as this will already be given in the detailed ‘costs’ table. Costings should be justified based on full economic costs (FEC) of the project, not just on the costs expected from UKRI. For some items we do not expect you to justify the monetary value, rather the type of resource, such as the amount of time or type of staff requested.
Where you do not provide adequate justification for a resource, we may deduct it from any funding awarded.
You should include:
- support for activities to either increase impact, for public engagement, knowledge exchange or to support responsible innovation
- support for access to facilities, infrastructure and procurement of equipment
- support for preserving, long-term storage, or sharing of data
- support from your organisation or partner organisations and how that enhances value for money
- a statement in the textbox confirming that your organisation has agreed to offer support for equipment over £10,000, if applicable
Word count: 1000
Section: Resubmissions
Question: Is the proposed project substantially revised from any previously funded or peer reviewed applications?
If this section does not apply to your project, enter N/A into the text box.
What the assessors are looking for in your response:
- clear explanation of how the proposed work is substantially revised from any previous work in terms of overall aims, objectives, approaches and resources requested.
For a proposal to be considered substantially revised, and therefore not a resubmission, BBSRC would expect more than 50% of the stated objectives or work packages to be identified as ‘new’, that is, not listed in proposals previously submitted to BBSRC by the applicants. Please see BBSRC’s resubmission policy for more information.
Word count: 300
