Funding opportunity

Funding opportunity: Better methods, better research new investigator: Jun 2023

Start application

Apply for funding to:

  • improve the methods used by others in biomedical and health research
  • take the next step towards becoming an independent principal investigator

You must:

  • focus your project on an area within MRC or NIHR remit
  • be a researcher who will be employed by an eligible research organisation (this includes MRC units and centres)
  • have research organisation support
  • have the appropriate skills and experience for this award

You are not eligible if you are already considered an independent researcher.

Your project can be up to £625,000 (100% full economic cost). MRC and NIHR will usually fund up to 80% of your project’s full economic cost.

Projects typically have a duration from 18 to 36 months.

This is an ongoing scheme. Application rounds open twice per year, closing in June and November.

Please register via Zoom for the better methods, better research webinar to be held on 17 May 2023 at 1:00pm.

If you are not able to demonstrate that your skills and experience (at the time of your application) match those of the transition to independence career stage, you may be eligible to apply for ‘Better methods, better research funding opportunity’. Please also note the annual funding opportunity ‘Develop guidance for better research methods’.

Who can apply

Before applying for funding, check the following:

Who is eligible to apply

To be eligible to apply for this funding opportunity you must:

  • have research organisation support
  • be able to show that your skills and experience match those in the ‘transition to independence’ stage of the MRC applicant skills and experience table, such as showing evidence of career progress and clear plans to develop your own research niche
  • provide a clear rationale of why this grant will best support your long-term career goals and chosen career route
  • be the sole intellectual leader of the proposed project, although we will allow co-investigators when they bring expertise to the project that is outside the applicant’s field
  • focus your application on biomedical and health research methods

You are also eligible to apply if you:

  • are employed as a postdoctoral research assistant, but this grant cannot start until your current work finishes
  • hold a lecturer appointment, a junior fellowship or another research staff position
  • hold, or have held, an early career training fellowship such as an MRC skills development fellowship
  • do not have a contract with your chosen host institution
  • are not currently based at the eligible research organisation, that has agreed to host your new investigator award are either a non-clinical or clinically active researcher

You do not need any postdoctoral experience to be eligible to apply.

You can only have one new investigator research grant or fellowship application under consideration by MRC at any one time.

Who is not eligible to apply

You are not eligible to apply if you have achieved independence, for example by receiving substantial grant income as a principal investigator.

‘Substantial grant income’ is typically defined as grants or fellowships up to three years long, with more than £50,000 direct science costs (excluding the principal investigator’s salary) per year.

You are also not eligible if you have:

If you have any doubts about your eligibility, you should contact the Funding Service helpdesk at support@funding-service.ukri.org and the better methods, better research team will respond.

If you are still unsure as to whether you are eligible to apply, read our new investigator research grants frequently asked questions for situation-specific eligibility information.

Co-investigators

Co-investigators can be involved but must bring expertise to the project that is outside the applicant’s field. Your current supervisor or lab head should not be a co-investigator.

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

  • career breaks
  • support for people with caring responsibilities
  • flexible working
  • alternative working patterns

Read MRC’s guidance on flexible working and career breaks. You can also find out more about MRC’s current EDI initiatives and EDI at UKRI.

What we're looking for

Scope

Better methods, better research (BMBR) funds the development or improvement of generalisable biomedical and health research methods. We are seeking research within the remit of MRC or NIHR that includes at least one of the following project categories.

1. Methodology research

Your project can include research into methodologies underpinning health or biomedical research that extends beyond a single case study or application.

Research outputs should be designed to maximise:

  • accessibility
  • informative value
  • utility across broader research communities, sectors or systems

This means all projects should ensure the approach to benchmarking and stakeholder inclusion supports the uptake of improved methods by others.

2. Improving methods used

Your research should respond to an evidenced barrier to uptake of optimal research methods. It should be framed within a pathway to improve community practice by methodologists, non-methodologists, or both. This can include:

  • research standards
  • theory
  • implementation
  • adoption of optimal methods

3. Improving research outputs

Your methodology research should make the outputs of biomedical and health research more useful to others. For example, this can be across:

  • scales
  • experimental approaches
  • systems
  • disciplines
  • translational pathways

Applications should consider approaches to evaluation and the resources required for uptake or implementation by others.

For all applications, we encourage you to learn from others where possible, and welcome multidisciplinary teams or approaches.

Please contact us at support@funding-service.ukri.org ahead of developing a full application to ensure your proposal is within remit. Include a one to two page project summary that covers background, key objectives and research plan (including dissemination activities).

Activities we do not fund

The following are not eligible for funding through BMBR:

  • development or improvement of methods that are not generalisable beyond a single application
  • novel applications of existing methods
  • assay or protocol development
  • generation of novel animal models
  • platform or resource development
  • technology development
  • biomarker identification and validation

New methodological approaches that are essential for implementation or uptake of new technologies or biomarkers will be considered as part of pre-application enquiries.

Find out more about MRC’s remit, programmes and priorities.

How you spend your time

We expect you will want to combine your research project with other activities. For example:

  • time spent on other research grants or clinical duties
  • teaching
  • administration duties
  • other time spent in faculty

You may spend up to 50% of your contracted working time on this project and we will cap our contribution to your salary at this level.

If you want to spend more time than this on your project, you must provide a strong scientific rationale and your host institution will need to underwrite the extra time.

The salary requested should be in line with the research organisation’s usual new investigator levels.

Duration

New investigator research grants typically have a duration of 36 months.

It may be possible to apply for a longer period, but you will need to justify why this is necessary. Projects help applicants in the transition to independence so will not usually be for shorter periods.

New investigator research grants are not renewable.

Funding available

The budget for each funding opportunity is £2.5 million.

The annual budget is £5 million annually with two funding opportunities occurring each year.

The full economic cost of your project will typically be up to £625,000. MRC and NIHR will fund 80% of the full economic cost up to £500,000.

We can consider larger requests, but where you expect costs to exceed £625,000, please make early contact with us at support@funding-service.ukri.org to discuss.

If you hold active or pending funding from NIHR, you may apply to embed an additional ‘BMBR’ award into existing research activity through the current ‘BMBR’ funding opportunity.

Embedded awards need to demonstrate additional methodological insight and added value from the integration of this research into an ongoing study.

What we will fund

You can request funding for costs such as:

  • a salary contribution, capped at 50% of your total working time
  • the salary for any hours that your co-investigators will spend working on the project
  • support for other posts such as research and technical staff
  • research consumables
  • equipment
  • travel
  • data preservation and data sharing
  • knowledge mobilisation and dissemination resources
  • estates and indirect costs

What we will not fund

We will not fund:

  • new clinical trials or interventions where methodology research is not the primary focus
  • costs for PhD studentships
  • publication costs
  • funding to use as a ‘bridge’ between grants

Team project partner

You may include project partners that will support your research project through cash or in-kind contributions, such as:

  • staff time
  • access to equipment
  • sites or facilities
  • the provision of data
  • software or materials

Each project partner must provide a statement of support. Project partners may not claim costs from the grant unless acting as a subcontractor in addition. Find out more about subcontractors and dual roles.

If your application involves industry partners please see the team project partners and industry collaboration framework section of the Funding Service application for further guidance.

Who cannot be included as a team project partner

The individual named as the contact for the project partner organisation cannot also be a named applicant, such as all those with a role of ‘investigator’ and any other named member of staff.

Supporting skills and talent

We encourage you to follow the principles of The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment.

International collaboration

If your application includes international applicants, project partners or collaborators, visit Trusted Research for more information on effective international collaboration.

How to apply

You must apply using the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service.

We recommend you start your application as soon as possible after the funding opportunity opens on 18 April 2023.

Your host organisation will be able to provide advice and guidance to assist you with the creation and completion of your application. They will also be able to guide you through any internal deadlines they have put in place, allowing them sufficient time to complete a review of your application before completing the final submission through the Funding Service.

If you are based outside of the UK and require assistance with your application please contact support@funding-service.ukri.org

Information for research office professionals

If an application is created by a member of an organisation where we do not currently have contact details with their research office, we will contact the author to enable administrator access. This provides:

  • oversight of every Funding Service application opened on behalf of your organisation
  • the ability to review and submit completed applications before the advertised funding opportunity closing date 14 June 2023 4:00pm UK time

If you anticipate researchers from your organisation wish to apply for this funding opportunity but have not already received an invitation to open an account, email support@funding-service.ukri.org

As an administrator, you will be responsible for the final submission of the application to MRC (part of UKRI) and ensuring internal deadlines are made clear to applicants from your organisation.

To hear more about the role of administrators, and the current functionality of the new Funding Service and how it will further develop, please see a recording of the most recent research office webinar.

For applicants

What follows are the sections and questions you will need to complete and answer on the UKRI Funding Service.

You cannot apply for this funding opportunity on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.

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 team. Only the lead applicant can prepare the application in the Funding Service.

You will need to take the following steps to apply:

  1. Select the ‘Start application’ button at the start of this page (this will be available from 18 April 2023, until the funding opportunity closes)
  2. This will open the ‘Sign in’ page of UKRI’s Funding Service. If you do not already have an account, you will be able to create one. This is a two-minute process requiring you to verify your email address and set a password.
  3. Start answering the questions detailed in this section of ‘How to apply’. You can save your work and come back to it later. You can also work ‘offline’, copying and pasting into the text boxes provided for your answers.
  4. Once complete, use the service to send your application to your research office for review. They’ll check it and return it to you if it needs editing.
  5. Once happy, your research office will submit it to UKRI for assessment. Only they can do this.

Deadline

MRC must receive your application by 14 June 2023 at 4:00pm UK time.

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.

You will not be able to apply after the funding opportunity has closed. MRC will not consider late applications.

Following the close of the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed and applications will not be returned for amendment. If you application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.

Section guidance

External links are not permitted. Your application should be a self-contained description of the proposed project and should not depend on additional information.

Application name

You will be asked to enter a distinct name for your application using 150 characters or fewer.

Start date and duration

This is a standard Funding Service section that asks you to tell us the start date and duration of your proposed project. Your project can last up to 36 months.

Details and summary

Summary

In plain English, provide a summary of your proposed project and how it will improve the methods used by others in biomedical and health research. This summary will be sent to potential reviewers.

This summary may be made publicly available on external facing websites if funded, 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 and relationship to the remit of MRC or NIHR
  • the challenge the project addresses in development or improvement of generalisable biomedical and health research methods
  • its objectives
  • its potential applications and benefits

Word count: 550

Applicants

List the key members of your team and assign them roles, for example:

  • principal investigator (only one person is permitted to be included with the role of principal investigator)
  • co-investigator
  • researcher
  • technician

Your transition to independence

How will this award support you and your research career?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain why you are applying for this new investigator award and demonstrate how it will support you in achieving your:

  • long-term career goals and chosen career route
  • plans to develop your own research niche
  • independence, as the sole intellectual leader of the proposed work
  • plans to secure further grant support (for example, MRC research grant funding) at the end of this award

Word count: 250

Your host organisation’s support

How will the research organisation support the applicant as a new investigator?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

The assessors will be looking for a strong statement of commitment from the research organisation, prepared by the head of department or other senior manager, that confirms how the host organisation will support the applicant and the project, including through long-term financial commitment.

The statement must include:

  • the significant person’s name and their position, who is providing the ‘statement of support’
  • a description of why they consider you to be a suitable candidate for a new investigator award
  • the plan to mentor, guide and support your career development
  • how they will financially support non-project time
  • how they recognise and value you as part of their team and will integrate you into the research organisation, enabling you to develop your independence and the focus of your research
  • confirmation that the internal process the application has gone through before submission, such as internal peer review of your application
  • how they will support you following the end of the award
  • the name, or names, of senior academics who have supported you during the development of your application and who will continue to do so

This statement of support should also describe how the host organisation will support you, for instance by providing:

  • guidance and training on setting up a research group, building partnerships and collaborations, or with public engagement
  • rapid access to resources at the research organisation through knowledge of appropriate processes and systems
  • access to career development support and advice to enable future career transitions
  • support for any proposed leadership activities
  • access to laboratory space or investment in equipment to establish your laboratory, and access to communal departmental resources

Word count: 1,000

Vision and approach

What are you hoping to achieve and deliver in your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Within the uploaded vision and approach document, explain how your proposed work:

  • is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field, or fields, or area, or areas
  • 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:

  • show how your proposed work will develop or improve generalisable biomedical and health research methods
  • identify the potential direct or indirect benefits and who the beneficiaries might be

When identifying benefits and beneficiaries consider:

  • the importance for improving human or population health
  • the potential to relieve disease and disability burden and improve quality of life
  • the potential to benefit, fulfil unmet needs, or contribute to current plans in the health service or industry
  • contributions to relevant areas of basic biomedical science

When identifying needs, consider current gaps in the translation of methodological research.

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
  • if applicable, summaries the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed
  • 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, its location, and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work
  • includes appropriate community consultation
  • ensures wider implementation or learning from project outputs, including approaches for benchmarking (method performance and implementation costs), outreach and the ability to influence wider audiences

Within the ‘approach’ section we also expect you to:

  • demonstrate access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment to deliver the proposed work

References should be included within the page count.

Create a document that includes your responses to all bullet points. The document should not exceed eight sides of A4 paper in Arial (or equivalent) 11point font. Save this document as a single PDF file, no larger than 8MB and upload it, following the guidance provided within the service application.

Methodology and experimental design

How will you ensure your proposed work has a reliable and robust methodology and experimental design?

What assessors are looking for in your response

You have the option to provide additional information about the statistical analyses, methodology and experimental design of the proposed work.

We are looking for information on reproducibility, and an explanation of the steps taken to ensure the reliability and robustness of the chosen methodology and experimental design. We expect you to seek professional statistical or other relevant advice in preparing your response.

We are not looking for a simple continuation of the methods set out in the ‘Vision and approach’ section. In this section, methodology means the rationale for choosing which method to use. We are not looking for detailed descriptions of the methods.

Within the uploaded document (maximum one side of A4, minimum of 11 point font size), you may explain and justify:

  • experimental approach to address objectives
  • sample and effect sizes
  • planned statistical analyses
  • models chosen (for example animal model, cell line)
  • include information about the sex of the animals to be used in experiments, as well as the sex of studied tissues and cells. Justify any single sex studies

This list is exemplar and not exhaustive.

If you do not provide sufficient detail to convince assessors that the proposed experiments will be carried out appropriately to produce robust and reproducible research, your application will be rejected.

Please refer to the MRC guidance for applicants, section 2.2.3.5 ‘Reproducibility and statistical design’, for further information.

If your proposed work involves animals, and you provide information on animal sample sizes and statistical analyses, you should not duplicate it in the ‘Research involving the use of animals’ section, specifically within the experimental design and statistical framework section of the template.

Use the ‘Research involving the use of animals’ section to provide information on the rationale for using animals, choice of species, welfare and procedure severity.

The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement, and Reduction of Animals in Research have developed a free online tool to guide researchers through the design of their experiments. It helps to ensure that researchers use the minimum number of animals consistent with their scientific objectives, methods to reduce subjective bias, and appropriate statistical analysis.

Create a document and include your responses to the questions related to the methodology and experimental design of your project. The document should not exceed one side of A4 and must be in a readable font size for panel review. Save this document as a single PDF file, no larger than 8MB and upload it, following the guidance provided within the service application.

If you do not want to provide this optional additional information or it is not relevant to your application then enter n/a in the text box and do not upload a file.

Project plan

Provide a project plan to support your application

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide a project plan in the form of a Gantt chart or similar to support your application. This should show milestones and the overall timeframe of the project. Please do not use the project plan to include information which should be detailed in the other sections of your application.

Create a document which will include your project plan. The document should not exceed one side of A4 and must be in a readable font size for panel review. Save this document as a single PDF file, no larger than 8MB and upload it, following the guidance provided within the service application.

Data management and sharing

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 MRC’s published data management and sharing policies, which includes detailed guidance notes.

Provide your response following the MRC data management plan template

The length of your plan will vary depending on the type of study being undertaken for:

  • population cohorts; longitudinal studies; genetic, omics and imaging data; biobanks, and other collections that are potentially a rich resource for the wider research community: maximum of 1,500 words
  • all other research, including less complex, the plan may be as short as 500 words

Word count: 1,500

Applicant and team capability to deliver

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

Within the ‘Applicant and team capability to deliver’ section we also expect you to demonstrate:

  • your capability to become an independent principal investigator and that you are now ready to take the next step towards that goal. Find out more about the skills and experience needed to win support
  • outputs from your research experience to date that show your readiness to develop
  • if applicable, the complementary skills of your chosen collaborators and partners

Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you and your team (investigators, researchers, partners and other (technical) staff for example, research software engineers, data scientists 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 these questions using the R4RI module headings. Each questions should include a response for the whole team, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI. You can enter ‘N/A’ for any you think irrelevant, and you will not be penalised for doing so, but it is recommended that you carefully consider the breadth of your experience. You should complete this as a narrative and you should avoid CV type format.

The R4RI module headings include:

  • 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
  • additions: you can use this heading to provide information which provides context to the wider application, such as detail of career breaks or disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic

Word count: 1,000

Related applications

Has a related application been previously submitted to MRC or another funding organisation?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If the application is a resubmission, provide information on how this new application differs from that submitted previously and how you have responded to feedback. It must not be used to cover anything which should be included in the vision and approach.

If the application was previously submitted to another funder, such as NIHR, you should provide:

  • the name of the funding body
  • a brief description of the project

Word count: 500

Resources and cost justification

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 full economics costing template (DOCX, 97KB), complete it and then upload it as explained.

Using the text box, 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 on the basis of full economic costs 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 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 may request support:

  • for activities to either increase impact, for public engagement, knowledge exchange and/or to support responsible innovation
  • for access to facilities, infrastructure and/or procurement of equipment
  • for preserving, long-term storage, or sharing of data

You may identify support:

  • from your organisation or partner organisations and how that enhances value for money

Word count: 1,000

Facilities

Does your proposed research require the support and use of a third-party facility?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If not, enter N/A into the text box, mark this section as complete and move on to the next section.

If you will need to use a facility, you should follow your proposed facility’s normal access request procedures. Also, 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, provide:

  • the name of facility
  • a description of the type of access they are granting you, for example: hours, units or value requested
  • an explanation of how you will use the facility in your research

Do not put the facility contact details in your response.

Word count: 500

Industry Collaboration Framework (ICF)

Does your application include industrial project partners?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

The assessors are looking for information relating to any restrictions or rights to the project results that could be claimed by the project partner.

If you have read the ICF guidance and it does not apply to any of the project partners included within your application (or you do not have any project partners), simply add ‘N/A’ into the text box, mark this section as complete and move to the next section.

The ICF has been developed to support you when your research project involves collaboration between an academic organisation and an eligible industry or company.

ICF also provides MRC with information and assurances that initial discussions and considerations have taken place with all involved in the project, related to the nature, goals and conditions of the collaboration, including intellectual property (IP) rights and dissemination of results generated if the project is funded by MRC.

By ‘industry or company’ we mean an enterprise that puts goods or services on a market and whose commercial activities are greater than 20% of their overall annual capacity.

Read the ICF for further guidance related to the purpose of the ICF process, including:

  • collaboration agreements
  • definitions of basic or applied research
  • internationally based companies
  • subsidy control
  • IP arrangements
  • fully flexible and gated contributions
  • the ICF assessment criteria

Please note, this funding opportunity does not require the inclusion of the ICF form or company partner letter of support (as detailed within the ICF guidance) and instead, details should be included within the text box.

You must also include any industry or company partners within the project partners section, providing the information requested within that section (whether the industry or company project requires ICF or not).

Where ICF does apply to your project, please confirm your answers to the following questions, within your Funding Service application (please see the Funding Service application for further guidance how this information is required to be added to the ICF section).

Please repeat this process for each industry project partner, if you have more than one partner that has potential to be included under ICF:

  • name the industry or company project partner considered to be eligible under ICF
  • indicate whether your application is either basic research or applied research
  • detail why, in the absence of the requested UKRI funding, the collaboration and the planned research could not be undertaken
  • state whether your application is under the category of either fully flexible contribution or gated contribution (based on the IP sharing arrangements with the company partner)
  • outline the pre-existing IP (‘background IP’) that each project partner (including the academic partner) will bring to the collaborative research project and the terms under which project partners may access these assets
  • outline the IP that is expected to be developed during the collaborative research project (‘foreground IP’) and briefly outline how it will be managed, including:
    • which project partners will own this IP
    • what rights project partners will have to use academically-generated foreground IP during and after the research project for internal research and development or for commercial purposes
    • any rights of the academic partner to commercialise the foreground IP (including foreground IP generated by project partners)
  • outline details on any restrictions to dissemination of the project results, including the rights of the project partner to:
    • review, approve or delay publications (including the time period associated with such rights)
    • request or require the removal of any information
  • declare any conflicts of interest held by the participating academic in relation to the project partners and describe how they will be managed
  • if applicable, provide a justification for collaborating with an overseas company or industrial project partner when their inclusion is under ICF
  • ensure you also include any eligible ICF industry or company partners within the project partners section (including a statement of support from the partner), of this application, by indicating a ‘yes’ response to question 10

If the proposal is awarded, successful applicants will need to provide an electronic copy of a signed collaboration agreement within three months of the issue of an award letter and before the project begins.

Please note, failure to provide the information requested for industry partners eligible under ICF could result in your application being rejected.

You are recommended to discuss the goals and conditions of any collaboration with an industry or company project partner with your university technology transfer or contracts office before completing the submission of your application to MRC.

Word count: 10,000

Project partners

Provide information related to collaborating project partners and the contributions and support they are providing your project.

MRC supports collaborative research projects and team approaches. Collaborators based in different organisations to the investigators named within your application, or from industry, can be formally recognised within your application as a named project partner.

If you do not have any project partners, simply add ‘N/A’ into the text box, mark this section as complete and move to the next section.

If you do have one or more project partners that have agreed to support your project, please provide them with the guidance included within this section and request they provide responses to the following questions.

MRC expect the project partner to provide you with information confirming the nature of the collaboration, including the value of their contribution. We also require each partner to provide other relevant information that will clearly identify the relevance and possible benefits of the proposed work to the project and to the project partner. The information provided will be used during the assessment of your application.

When the partner has provided you with the required information, check that the responses adequately provide the information MRC requires and then copy and paste their responses into the text box provided.

When you have pasted the responses for each separate partner within the text box provided, please mark the section as complete and move onto the next application question.

Statement of support from project partners

Please note, while a statement of support is required to be provided by each project partner, a formal letter of support from the project partner is not required.

Where a partner has provided a formal letter of support, the relevant text confirming the responses to each question should be extracted from the letter and pasted into the text box (using the template format as detailed within the Funding Service application). Under no circumstances should any letter of support (including signature and letter head), be uploaded to the text section or any other section of your application.

You should:

  • provide the name of the project partner organisation
  • detail the partner website address (or postal address)
  • confirm the following, related to the partner contact information:
    • partner contact name (title, first name, family name format)
    • job role or title
    • the person’s department (if applicable)
    • confirm ‘yes’, that any person included within the application as a partner contact, are made aware their person their personal information has been shared with UKRI and their personal information will be processed as set out in UKRI’s privacy notice
  • confirm the total cash or detail a £ value for any in-kind contributions being provided by the partner organisation. You are encouraged to provide a detailed description to ensure assessors can evaluate the contribution fully (the following list are examples; please add you own descriptors if a different type of contribution better describes the contribution being provided):
    • cash contribution: £
    • staff time: £
    • access to equipment: £
    • provision of data: £
    • consumables and materials: £
    • expertise: £
    • use of facilities: £
    • recruitment of people as research participants: £
    • providing human tissue: £
  • confirm any costs being requested by the project partner, such as minor travel and subsistence costs or if the partner is claiming costs as a subcontractor (please provide a costs breakdown to provide the assessors with detail of any costs requested by the project partner). If the project partner is not claiming any costs, indicate: ‘Zero costs requested by this project partner’
  • confirm if your project partner has a dual role as a subcontractor
  • please confirm if the project partner you have named in your response to the first question, is from industry (or a company) ‘yes or no’? If you have responded ‘yes’, please ensure you have completed the previous ICF section
  • confirm the partner’s commitment to the project, by requesting they provide a statement of support, including information that explains:
    • the full nature and relevance of the collaboration and support being provided by the partner
    • how this will benefit both the project and partner
    • any additional value the collaboration will bring to the project
    • where relevant, projected market size, customer sales and how the organisation will commercialise the technology beyond the project
    • the period of support the collaboration will cover

Please note, it is expected that the partner statement should be as concise as possible and therefore should not duplicate any information provided within any of the responses to the preceding questions.

When completed, the statement of support should be included within the text box provided.

Word count: 10,000

Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

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

Using the text box, demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations, and how you will manage them.

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

Research involving human tissues or biological samples

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, mark this section as complete and move on to the next section.

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: 700

Research involving human participation

Will the project involve the use of human subjects?

If not, enter ‘N/A’ into the text box, mark this section as complete and move on to the next section.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you are proposing research that requires the involvement of humans 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: 700

Personal information

Will your research require personal information about human participants to be used?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If not, enter ‘N/A’ into the text box, mark this section as complete and move on to the next section.

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: 700

Research involving the use of animals

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, mark this section as complete and do the same for the next question.

Please do not duplicate information provided in the methodology and experimental design section, specifically within the experimental design and statistical framework section of the template.

If you are proposing research that requires using animals, write ‘Yes’ in the text box. Then, download and complete the animal research questions template (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.

Word count: 10

Conducting research with animal overseas

Will any of the proposed animal research be conducted overseas?

If not, enter ‘N/A’ in the text box, mark as complete and move to the next question.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

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 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, you should select the relevant checklist or checklists from the list, complete it and save it as a PDF and use the file upload feature to attach. 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.

Other species include:

Word count: 10

Genetic and biological risk

Does your proposed research involve any genetic or biological risk?

If not, enter ‘N/A’ into the text box, mark this section as complete and move on to the next section.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

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: 700

Sensitive information

Use this section to provide us with sensitive information you need to tell us that you do not want shared with assessors.

If you do not need to tell us anything, enter ‘N/A’ into the text box, mark this section as complete and move on to the next section.

If you need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, please enter the words ‘email sent’ in the text box.

Then, contact the Funding Service helpdesk on support@funding-service.ukri.org
Include your application name and number in the subject line, after the pre-populated words ‘sensitive information’.

Typical examples of confidential information include:

  • an applicant is unavailable until a certain date
  • declaration of interest
  • additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the R4RI
  • disclosure of a disability or access need
  • conflict of interest for MRC to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection

For information about how UKRI handles personal data, please see UKRI’s privacy notice.

Word count: 2

How we will assess your application

Assessment process

Examination of applications

All applications will be examined to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria and scope of the funding opportunity. If your application is deemed to be outside the scope of the funding opportunity you will be advised by email, and your application will be rejected. We aim to notify you of a rejection around four weeks after the closing date of the funding opportunity.

All applications within scope of the funding opportunity will be reviewed against the specified assessment criteria using the following two-stage assessment process.

Find out what happens after you submit your proposal

Peer review

We will invite independent experts to review your application against the specified criteria for this funding opportunity. These experts will provide written comments and a score of one to six for your application.

You cannot nominate reviewers to comment on your application.

Shortlisting

The shortlisting meeting will be held roughly one month before the full panel meeting.

A subgroup of the panel will consider your application using written comments from both assigned panel members and peer reviewers to decide which applications will be taken forward to the full panel meeting.

If your application is shortlisted, you will have 14 days to respond to reviewers’ comments and any feedback from the shortlisting panel.

Shortlisted applications will then go to the panel, who will make a funding recommendation.

Panel

Following peer review, shortlisting and response to reviews the panel will collectively assess and score your application against the specified criteria. The panel will produce a ranked list of applications and make a final funding recommendation.

The panel meeting will take place on 23 November 2023.

We aim to communicate funding decisions within 10 days of the full panel meeting.

Timescale

We aim to complete the assessment process within six months of receiving your application.

Feedback

After the panel meeting you will receive feedback by email, summarising the panel’s discussion of your application.

We aim to provide this within six weeks of the funding meeting.

Find out more about what happens after you submit your application.

Assessment criteria

The criteria we will assess your application against can be found in the ‘How to apply’ section and are listed under the ‘What the assessors are looking for in your response’ headings.

Principles of assessment

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) supports the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognises the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.

Find out about the UKRI principles of assessment and decision making.

Sharing data with co-funders

MRC, as part of UKRI, will need to share the application (including any personal information that it contains) with NIHR, so that they can participate in the assessment process.

For more information on how NIHR uses personal information, visit policies and guidelines (NIHR).

We reserve the right to modify the assessment process as needed.

Publication of outcomes

MRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at better methods better research – funding decisions.

If your application is successful, some personal information will be published on the UKRI Gateway to Research.

To see summaries of successful better methods better research applications, you can search project reference IDs from the funding decision spreadsheet on Gateway to Research.

What we are looking for, from experts invited to review your application

Vision

To what extent does the application clearly demonstrate the proposed work:

  • is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the fields or areas
  • 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
  • will impact world-leading research, society, the economy and/or the environment
  • will develop or improve generalisable biomedical and health research methods
  • will address current gaps in the translation of methodological research

Approach

To what extent does the application demonstrate a clearly designed approach to ensure it:

  • is effective and appropriate to achieve their objectives
  • is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed
  • uses a clear and transparent methodology, if applicable to the application
  • summarises the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed, if applicable to the application
  • will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts
  • describes how their, and if applicable their team’s, research environment (in terms of the place, its location and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the proposed work
  • demonstrates access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment to deliver the proposed work
  • will support reproducible research, through a reliable and robust methodology and experimental design.
  • includes appropriate community consultation
  • confirms wider implementation or learning from project outputs, including approaches for benchmarking (method performance and implementation costs), outreach and the ability to influence wider audiences

Data management and sharing

To what extent is the data management and sharing appropriate? Consider:

  • the types, scale and complexity of data being (or to be) managed
  • the likely long-term value for further research including by sharing data
  • the anticipated information security and ethics requirements

Applicant and team capability to deliver

To what extent does the application provide clear evidence how the applicant, and if relevant their 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 their approach to develop others
  • the capability to become an independent principal investigator
  • the readiness to develop and take the next step towards being an independent principal investigator based on research experience and outputs and research plans that are distinct from their current group or leader
  • the potential to progress and secure further grant support at the end of this award
  • a clear rationale for the application and how the new investigator grant will support the applicants research independence, long-term career goals and chosen career route
  • assess applicants against the skills and experience needed to win support
  • consider if the applicants have experienced any disruptive or unequal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and make appropriate adjustments

Host organisation’s support

To what extent has the application provided evidence of suitable commitment and support from their host research organisation, including:

  • how they will provide an appropriate career structure and support to set up a research group and facilitate the transition to independence
  • the plan to mentor, guide and support the applicant
  • the financial and other support available
  • how they recognise and value the applicant and will integrate them into the research organisation and support their career development
  • how they will support the applicant following the end of the award

Resources and cost justification

To what extent has the application demonstrated how the resources they anticipate needing for their proposed work:

  • are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified
  • represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
  • maximise potential outcomes and impacts

Ethics and responsible research and innovation

To what extent does the application clearly identify and evaluate the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations, and how they will be managed, including:

  • is the proposed work ethically acceptable
  • are there any ethical issues that need further consideration, such as dual use or misuse of research
  • are the proposed ethical review and research governance approaches appropriate
  • will there be any potential adverse consequences for humans, animals or the environment and have these risks been appropriately considered
  • if applicable, have the applicants properly considered the replacement, refinement or reduction of the animals in their experiments

Overall assessment

Detail any other factors about the application that you want to be considered by the panel. Remember, these comments will be seen by both the applicants and the panel.

Contact details

Get help with your application

For help on costings and writing your application, contact your research office. Allow enough time for your organisation’s submission process.

If you are unsure whether your proposal fits the remit of this opportunity, we recommend that you send a one page summary of your proposal to our helpdesk at support@funding-service.ukri.org and the better methods better research team will respond.

Ask about this funding opportunity

Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org

We aim to respond to emails within two working days.

Phone: 01793 547490

Our phone lines are open:

  • Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm UK time
  • Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm UK time

Additional info

Background

Better methods, better research.

Personal information

MRC, 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.

Global Talent visa

Find out about getting funding and visas to do research in the UK.

This is the website for UKRI: our seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Let us know if you have feedback.