Application questions
Vision
Word limit: 2,000
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
- is of sufficient novelty and ambition to warrant consideration for funding
Within the vision we also expect you to:
- introduce the topic of research and explain its academic and wider context
- demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of past and current work in the subject area both in the UK and internationally
- provide a summary of the results and conclusions of your recent work in the research areas relevant to the proposal
- identify the overall aims of the proposed sLoLa research programme, set in the context the funding opportunity’s frontier bioscience scope, current knowledge, and the leading edge within the research domains
Your project must be within the bioscience discovery research scope of the funding opportunity.
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: 6,000
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
As part of this section, we expect you to:
- provide the individual measurable objectives for the planned sLoLa and explain how these will be tackled. This should include a detailed description and justification for the methods and approaches to be employed
- describe the programme of work, indicating the research (experimental and data analysis) to be undertaken and the milestones that can be used to measure its progress. The detail should be sufficient to indicate the programme of work for each member of the research team
- highlight features which are particularly original or unique. sLoLa proposals are expected to be ambitious and potentially transformative, resulting in a step change in knowledge that will have a major impact on the research area
- identify any potential risks within the research programme and strategies to mitigate these risks, for example, alternative approaches
- identify any equipment or resources you will need to access
A project Gantt chart is compulsory and should be inserted as an image at the very end of this section. The Gantt chart should identify appropriate deliverables, responsibilities and time points for each objective.
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.
Applicant and team capability to deliver
Word limit: 3,000
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 (including how technical, specialist, professional and leadership capabilities are integrated and supported within the team)
- used technical and specialist capabilities within your organisation(s) in building your project team
- collaborated with technical and specialist team members to enhance building technical and specialist capabilities within your project
- contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community
- contributed to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge. sLoLa awards are expected to use a variety of experimental techniques and generate a large amount of data so care should be taken to highlight both experimental and analytical experience directly relevant to the proposed research
- contributed to the inclusion and development of others
- contributed to the maintenance of effective working relationships
- contributed to the wider research and innovation community
- contributed to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit
The core leadership team should consist of the project lead and the project co-leads identified on the outline application.
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 may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
The word limit for this section is 3,000 words: 2,500 words to be used for Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) modules (including references) and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.
Use the 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
We expect applications to describe the specific contribution of each applicant to the proposed sLoLa such as: their scientific contributions, for example, research field and specialist knowledge, experience, 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
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).
In this section you can reference anticipated contributions of any collaborators, project partners or sub-contractors.
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 may be in industry, academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU.
Complete this as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.
References may be included within this section.
Resources and cost justification
Word limit: 3,000
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), this can include travel costs for SAB members
- any equipment that will cost more than £25,000
- 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’
You can request costs associated with reasonable adjustments where they increase as a direct result of working on the project. For further information see Disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders. Where a funding limit is imposed on the opportunity, requested costs for reasonable adjustments may exceed the maximum funding amount.
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
Team communication platforms
We encourage applicants to think about how team communication and data management will be achieved, including potential platforms required. Project-specific communication platforms may be requested where justified and not already provided through institutional infrastructure.
Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
What are the ethical and RRI considerations, 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 and RRI considerations, including both the research or topic area itself and the design and delivery of the project
- the wider implications of the proposed work, and how you will maximise the positive societal, environmental, and economic benefits arising from the project, whilst minimising unintended negative impacts, such as research misuse or accidental harm
- how you will manage these considerations throughout the lifecycle of the project
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Please refer to the UKRI position statement on funding ethical research and Responsible innovation for more information around our expectations on ethical and responsible research and innovation.
Animal involvement and ‘3Rs’
You must complete this section about how your proposed project will involve or impact animals.
If your project does not involve or impact animals, you must confirm this on the next page.
You may be asked about:
- what animals you are involving
- the severity of the procedures you are using
- where the procedures will take place
- welfare standards you aim to meet
- the relevance of your project to the development, validation or dissemination of the 3Rs
You may also need to download, complete, and upload at least one set of additional questions. You will be told how to do this towards the end of this section.
To complete this section and check whether your project is in the scope of the questions, refer to the UKRI policy for research and innovation involving animals.
What counts as an animal
UKRI policy relates to all animals in the Kingdom Animalia, including vertebrates and invertebrates.
Genetically modified organisms and biological risk
You must complete this section if your project will include genetically modified organisms or genetic technologies.
If you project does not involve genetically modified organisms or genetic technologies, you must confirm this on the next page.
You may be asked about:
- the type of organism your project will involve and the procedures your project will include
- the intended use of the organism or genetic technology
- the genetic, biological and environmental risks of your project
For more information, see UKRI’s guidance on genetic technologies.
Human participation in health-related research
You must complete this section about whether your project will include human participation.
If your project does not involve human participation, you must confirm this on the next page.
You may be asked about:
- what type of human participation your project includes
- the project design for human participation
- the phase of the clinical trial
- whether the project will be in an NHS setting, if so, how the project will be registered
- whether diversity and inclusion will be considered
For more information, see UKRI’s guidance for human participants in research.
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 contributions for example cash, donated equipment and resources, or staff seconded to the project, or indirect and in-kind contributions for example use of project partner’s equipment, datasets, or facilities. Project partners may be in industry, academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU.
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 indirect) 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 partners 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
- have a page limit of two sides 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.
Facilities
Word limit: 600
Does your proposed research require the support and use of a facility?
The ARCHER2 service will end on 21 November 2026, and UKRI is currently transitioning to a new compute landscape. Until details of new compute provision are confirmed, applicants who require HPC resources beyond November 2026 have been advised to select ARCHER2 at application and to describe their compute requirements in full.
Other compute investments to be aware of include:
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, 37KB)
- proposed usage or costs, or costs per unit where indicated on the facility information list
- confirmation you have their agreement where required
Facilities should only be named if they are on the facility information list above. If you will not need to use a facility, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Host organisation’s support
Word limit: 4,000
Provide details of support from your research organisation.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Ensure the head of department (or equivalent) of the host organisation provides you with a supporting statement (which they have written), that includes details of any additional support that might add value to the work.
Assessors will be looking for a strong statement of support from your research organisation. This information should have been approved for submission by an appropriate institutional authority.
You must also include the following details:
- full name
- their position or role
- the department, school or institute they lead
- their contact details
The statement of support provided by your host organisation should be copied and pasted into the text box. You cannot upload the statement of support to this section as an attachment. Your application may be rejected if you upload a host organisation statement of support to the ‘Project partners: letters (or emails) of support’ section or any other section of your application.
Data management and sharing
Word limit: 1,000
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.
Successful outline application
Word limit: 5
Please provide the application reference number for your successful outline application.
Strategic case
Word limit: 1,000
What is the strategic case for your sLoLa project?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
We expect you to:
- justify the need for sLoLa funding, describing the added value of funding through this mechanism and how the proposed work will demonstrate UK leadership in the field
- outline a clear strategy for how the research team’s outputs (experiments, data and results) will be fully integrated to deliver ‘greater than sum of parts’ outcomes
- describe the synergistic benefit of the team science approach to deliver project outcomes which could not be achieved through a series of smaller, shorter grants (for example, BBSRC standard research grants) with individual groups working in isolation
- explain the significance and importance of the proposed research, including how the sLoLa award will enhance the international position of UK bioscience in the research area
- explain how the proposed research complements, and does not overlap with, other research funded in this area nationally and internationally including BBSRC’s research portfolio. For information on BBSRC’s portfolio, please see Gateway to Research and downloads on the funding opportunity webpage
- describe how the research programme will have an impact on the broader health and vitality of UK bioscience. Where applicable, this might include plans for ensuring the longer-term legacy of data, software, technologies or other community resources. This might also include skills and national capability developed during the project or identifying potential routes towards economic or societal impacts where these may already be evident
Management strategy
Word limit: 700 words
How do you plan to manage the sLoLa?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
We expect you to:
- describe how the project will be managed to ensure effective working of the team, effective utilisation of resources, and successful delivery of the planned outcomes. The management approach should be appropriate to the nature and scale of the programme
- describe how the project will implement governance and decision-making arrangements appropriate to its scale, complexity and delivery requirements. This may include approaches such as distributed leadership models and inclusive governance that promote meaningful participation across the team.
- provide details about the project’s management and advisory structure
- provide information on the proposed membership of the scientific advisory board and how it will be used. A scientific advisory board is required for all projects, which is independent from both the academic institutions and project partners involved in the proposal
- provide details of the approach to project and risk management, and the monitoring strategy for tracking progress of the proposed programme
- describe how your approach accounts for people related risks (such as staff turnover, recruitment challenges, or reliance on specialist expertise) and how these are to be mitigated
- build EDI considerations into the formation, operation and governance of the project, including how these will be operationalised
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Team culture and development
Word limit: 500 words
How will you create an environment where team members can thrive, develop their skills and professional experience, and contribute effectively to the project’s success?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
We expect you to:
- explain how you will create and maintain an inclusive, collaborative and psychologically safe team culture
- describe how the project will support the learning, development and wellbeing of all team members throughout the lifetime of the project
- explain how management and supervisory arrangements will support team members to contribute effectively, take on responsibilities as their careers progress, and receive appropriate recognition for their contributions
- outline the project’s approach to providing value-added opportunities that enhance the experience and success of team members, such as mentoring, cross-disciplinary collaboration, training, networking, leadership, and wider engagement
This section should be based on tangible and outcome-focused examples, such as:
- opportunities for development of all team members that sLoLa funding will facilitate
- intentional design in your team’s ways of working to promote inclusivity
- your approaches to recognition and credit in a team science context
- strategies for mentoring and skills development
Scientific advisory board (SAB) members
Word limit: 50
Please provide the name and institution of the proposed SAB members for your project. This information will be used to prevent conflicts in the assessment of your application.
Please see ‘Strategic Advisory Board Guidance’ in Additional information’ under ‘Supporting documents for further information.
Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)
Trusted Research and Innovation is the protection of the UK’s intellectual property, sensitive research, people, and infrastructure from potential theft, misuse, and exploitation.
Organisations receiving UKRI funding are obliged to act in line with UK government legislation. They are also expected to undertake appropriate due diligence assessment of organisations involved in research partnerships, collaboration agreements, and commercial contracts.
You will be asked about:
- which areas of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act your project relates to
- who you intend to collaborate with and how
- if your project requires an export control licence
Your answers may affect the T&Cs of your funding agreement if you are successful. We may use your answers to determine that our current T&Cs are sufficient or if additional T&Cs are required.
