We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.
The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.
Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.
To apply
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
- Confirm you are the project lead.
- Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password.
- Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.
- Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
- 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.
Please be aware that research office and finance teams undertake checks on hosting arrangements and financial eligibility. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with all opportunity requirements lies with the applicant.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.
When including images, you must:
- provide a descriptive caption or legend for each image immediately underneath it in the text box (this must be outside the image and counts towards your word limit)
- insert each new image on a new line
- use files smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
Images should only be used to convey important visual information that cannot easily be put into words. The following are not permitted, and your application will be rejected if you include:
- sentences or paragraphs of text
- tables
- excessive quantities of images
A few words are permitted where the image would lack clarity without the contextual words, such as a diagram, where text labels are required for an axis or graph column.
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
References
References should be included within the word count of the appropriate question section. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.
Hyperlinks can be used in reference information. When including references, you should consider how your references will be viewed and used by the assessors, ensuring that:
- references are easily identifiable by the assessors
- references are formatted as appropriate to your research
- persistent identifiers are used where possible
General use of hyperlinks
Applications should be self-contained. You should only use hyperlinks to link directly to reference information. You must not include links to web resources to extend your application. Assessors are not required to access links to conduct assessment or recommend a funding decision.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI)
Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.
For more information see our policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment.
Deadline
STFC must receive your application by 17 September 2026 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.
Following the submission of your application to this funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and submitted applications will not be amended. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.
Personal data
Processing personal data
STFC, 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.
Completion of this form implies permission for user details to be stored in the DiRAC service providers’ and research councils’ databases and to be used for mailing, accounting, reporting and other administrative purposes. The DiRAC HPC service providers are the Universities of Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh and Leicester and the DiRAC Project Office is hosted by University College London. The Community Development Director is based at the University of Liverpool.
Sensitive information
If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email: DiRACRAC@stfc.ac.uk
Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].
Typical examples of confidential information include:
- individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)
- declaration of interest
- additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section
- conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection
- the application is an invited resubmission
For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.
Publication of outcomes
STFC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity on the DiRAC website.
Summary
Word limit: 550
In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.
We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:
- opinion-formers
- policymakers
- the public
- the wider research community
Guidance for writing a summary
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
- context
- the challenge the project addresses
- aims and objectives
- potential applications and benefits
Core team
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
- project lead (PL)
- project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
- project co-lead (international) (PcL (I))
- specialist
- grant manager
- professional enabling staff
- doctoral student
- research and innovation associate
- technician
- visiting researcher
- researcher co-lead (RcL)
Only list one individual as project lead.
UKRI has introduced a new addition to the ‘Specialist’ role type. Public contributors such as people with lived experience can now be added to an application.
Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.
Application questions
Application type and peer review sub-panel
Word limit: 15
Select the relevant application type and expert review sub-panel. You are strongly encouraged to apply to one sub-panel only, not both.
Copy and paste the relevant application type into the text box:
- thematic proposal
- short proposal
Copy and paste the relevant sub-panel into the text box:
- Astronomy and Cosmology Sub-Panel
- Particle Physics and Nuclear Theory Sub-Panel
Technical application form
Word limit: 10
Completion of the technical application form is mandatory, please upload it here. Do not send it directly to DiRAC. Applications will not be accepted without a completed technical form.
Research software engineer support form
Word limit: 10
Do you wish to apply for research software engineer support?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Please enter ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
If you are requesting research software engineer support please upload your application form here. Do not send it directly to DiRAC.
Resource hours requested
Word limit: 300
What is the number of resource hours requested?
You may apply for up to 80% of the available resources. Please note that Tursa is available for year one only.
Download and complete the resource table entering in the number of resource hours requested for the system(s) you wish to use. Then copy and paste the table into the text box.
Compute requirements on Tursa
Word limit: 300
Tursa is available for year one only, however if you were to require resources on Tursa for years two and three what level of resources would you require for each year? This is for indicative purposes only and your answer will not be assessed by the Panel.
Storage requirements
Word limit: 400
What are your storage requirements?
You must clearly specify the amount of any existing storage you wish to retain and the amount of new storage you are requesting. You may request new storage of up to 80% of the available storage.
Download and complete the storage table. Copy and paste the table into the text box.
The codes you will be using
Word limit: 300
What are the main codes you will be using?
Download and complete the codes table. Copy and paste the table into the text box. Please indicate codes which are already developed and give your own experience of running the codes.
Number of users
Word limit: 300
How many users are expected to work on this DiRAC project and what is their previous use of HPC resources?
Please provide the following information:
- how many people on this proposal will be using DiRAC services
- are you an existing user of DiRAC resources
- provide details of your previous use of HPC services including the name of system, the number of core hours used, and the types of jobs run (codes, core counts, typical job lengths)
Use of previous DiRAC allocations
Word limit: 300
Please provide details of your use of previous DiRAC allocations over the last two years, from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026 including the percentage of the allocation that was used. If you did not fully use your allocation, please explain why. Under use of previous allocations without a valid reason can affect the score of this application. You should demonstrate how you plan to avoid under usage of this allocation and the mitigations in place, should this application be successful.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Reasons why your previous DiRAC allocations were not fully used and how you will avoid under usage in the future, demonstrating what mitigations are in place. Valid reasons for under use can include technical problems, Covid-19 related reasons, or other personal circumstances such as caring responsibilities, illness, bereavement, or periods of special leave for example. There is no need to disclose personal sensitive information.
Access to DiRAC systems for international partners
Word limit: 300
Please provide full details if any of the projects in this proposal are heavily led by international collaborators.
Please enter ‘N/A’ if not applicable.
Relation to external projects
Word limit: 300
How does this project relate to external projects?
Please enter ‘N/A’ if not applicable.
Only complete this section if your application is designed to facilitate the progress and milestones of an accelerator, particle, detection, engineering, telescope, satellite community project such as (but not limited to) LHC, CTA, DES, SKA, LSST, Euclid, Planck and so on.
Please specify the following details of the external project:
- project title
- what your role is within this project
- work packages and milestones you will complete using the requested DiRAC resources
- key deliverables this proposal will deliver and timelines for their delivery
Vision and Approach
Create a document that includes your responses to all criteria. The page limit is dependent on the level of resources requested as shown below and must be single-spaced and in 11-point Arial (or equivalent sans serif font) with margins of at least 2cm. You may include images, graphs, tables.
Please ensure you have provided the information requested in the bullet points listed in the criteria below. We will be unable to return proposals for amendment so it is essential you include all the information requested, otherwise the panel will not be able to fully assess your proposal and it may result in your score being reduced or your proposal being rejected. Failure to keep within the page limit may result in proposals being rejected.
If you wish to apply for both CPU and GPU resources, you should select the page limit relevant to the highest level of resource you are applying for; for example, if you wish to apply for 51M CPUh and 20k GPUh you can have a maximum limit of nine pages. Please note this is the maximum page limit and there is no obligation to fill the entire page limit, a shorter document is acceptable.
Page limits for levels of resources requested:
- proposals requesting <=5M CPUh or <=50k GPUh: 3 pages
- proposals requesting >5M CPUh but <=15M CPUh or >50k GPUh but <=150k GPUh: 5 pages
- proposals requesting >15M CPUh but <=50M CPUh or >150k GPUh but <=500k GPUh: 7 pages
- proposals requesting >50M CPUh but <=150M CPUh or >500k GPUh but <=1.5M GPUh: 9 pages
- proposals requesting >150M CPUh but <=250M CPUh or >1.5M GPUh but <=2.5M GPUh: 11 pages
- proposals requesting >250M CPUh but <=350M CPUh or >2.5M GPUh but <=3.5M GPUh: 12 pages
- proposals requesting >350M CPUh but <=450M CPUh or >3.5M GPUh but <=4.5M GPUh: 13 pages
- proposals requesting >450M CPUh or >4.5M GPUh: 14 pages
For the file name, use the unique Funding Service number the system gives you when you create an application, followed by the words ‘Vision and Approach’.
Save this document as a single PDF file, no bigger than 8MB. Unless specifically requested, please do not include any sensitive personal data within the attachment.
If the attachment does not meet these requirements, the application will be rejected.
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.
What are you hoping to achieve with and how will you deliver your proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
For the Vision, 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
- fits within the UK’s activity in this area and its international standing
Within the Vision section we also expect you to:
- identify the potential direct or indirect benefits and who the beneficiaries might be
- explain how the proposed research goals are significant to the STFC science challenges and are of strategic value within the STFC programme
- explain how the proposed work is nationally and internationally competitive
For the Approach, explain how you have designed your work 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, summarises 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 and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work
You must also provide the following:
- details of the codes and methods to be used and clarification of how they are appropriate for the work being proposed
- details to show how efficiently the cores will be used, and how much of the allocated time will be used by all the major codes listed in your proposal
- details of whether your project will require exclusive use of any of the DiRAC systems, and if so please provide full justification including potential dates and durations of exclusive use
- a list of prioritised projects within the proposal (if your proposal contains more than one project)
- a table to show the resources requested for each sub-project across each year of the award
References may be included at the end of this section in addition to the page limit but no greater than 10% of the page limit.
Applicant and team capability to deliver
Word limit: 1,650
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
- contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community
- the necessary national or international standing and leadership to 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 1,650 words: 1,150 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
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).
Complete this as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.
References may be included within this section.
The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles.
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
If you are collecting or using data, you should identify:
- any legal and ethical considerations of collecting, releasing and storing the data (including consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security and other ethical considerations and, in particular, strategies to not preclude further reuse of data)
- formal information standards that your proposed work will comply with
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.
Resources and cost justification
Word limit: 1,100
What computing resources (computing time and storage) will you need to deliver your proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must include:
- full justification of the resources requested and why you are requesting the specific DiRAC system: Memory Intensive, Extreme Scaling, or Data Intensive
- assurance that the computing resources and storage requested are appropriate and justified
- why the computing time requested is essential for the successful completion of the project
- details of the scientific impact to the project if you are awarded a reduced allocation
- the linkage to science outcomes, for example are certain resolutions and parameter ranges required to achieve some statistical precision, and how would any reductions affect their accuracy or usefulness?
Overall, assessors 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
This section should not simply be a list of the resources requested, as this will already be given in the detailed ‘resources’ table. Where you do not provide adequate justification for a resource, we may deduct it from any awarded.
Project management question one
Word limit: 125
How will your project be managed?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide full details of how the management of your project is structured, the reporting lines, frequency of team meetings and the flow of communications between team members.
Project management question two
Word limit: 200
Is there sufficient researcher effort to carry out the proposed research?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must demonstrate:
- that there is enough staff effort to successfully complete the project. Please include a table to show the estimated effort as a percentage FTE for all team members listed on this project. This should be presented as a percentage FTE across the overall working week
- that the key members of the team have contracts covering the duration of the allocation being requested. If, however this is not possible, you should provide details explaining why and how you will be able to make full use of your allocation (for example if your contract gets extended or they get a position elsewhere which still enables you to make full use of the DiRAC allocation)
- if the project lead or any project co-leads on this project are project lead or project co-lead on other RAC projects (current or at proposal stage for this facility time opportunity), how they will distribute their time across multiple projects and manage conflicting commitments
To note: If the table of staff effort exceeds the word limit for this question, the table may be added as an appendix to the vision and approach document in addition to the page limit and it should be clearly labelled that it is in answer to project management question two.
Project management question three
Word limit: 125
Is there an internal allocation process for the allocation of computing time to the sub-projects within this proposal?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must demonstrate how the computing resources will be distributed across the sub-projects within the proposal if this differs from the figures presented in the proposal against each sub-project.
Project management question four
Word limit: 400
Please provide a work plan with milestones against which the progress of the project will be measured.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must provide a full, comprehensive work plan with milestones against which the progress of the project will be measured.
Project management question five
Word limit: 125
Please provide details of your risk and mitigation analysis
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must provide full details of the risk and mitigation analysis including compute time and storage, staff and technical risks.
Project management question six
Word limit: 400
Do you have a current RAC allocation which will still be active when this project has started?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Please enter ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
If ‘yes’, enter the allocation reference number and end date, and specifically confirm either:
- point one: the science is the same and you want the resources awarded from this application to replace the existing allocation for future periods (that is, the existing allocation will end on 31 March 2027 and any resources from that award from 1 April 2027 onwards will be removed and will be replaced with the resources awarded from this application)
- point two: the science is materially new and different, and therefore this application is in addition to your existing allocation. If so, please provide a robust justification of how the science is different and how you plan to manage the two projects. Please note that if the justification is not convincing, the panel reserves the right to reduce the score or make targeted cuts to this request, should this application be successful
If your answer is yes, please confirm if point one or point two is applicable. If point two is applicable, you must provide assurance that the science to be carried out in this project is distinct from that in your active RAC allocation and not a duplication, and how you plan to manage the two projects.
Project management question seven
Word limit: 125
Please provide details of your publication plans.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must provide full details of your publication plans arising from the work in this proposal, including how many and the timescales.
Data management question one
Word limit: 100
What types of data will be generated?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must provide a description of the types of data that are expected to be produced from the project, including the raw data arising directly from the research, the reduced data derived from it, and published data.
Please refer to the STFC data management plan when answering all questions in this section.
Data management question two
Word limit: 100
What types of data will be preserved?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must provide details of the types of data to be preserved and how.
Data management question three
Word limit: 100
Are there any software and metadata implications?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must provide:
- details of any software and metadata implications
- clarification of what software and metadata will be retained to enable the data to be read and interpreted
Data management question four
Word limit: 100
How long will the data be preserved?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must specify how long the data will be preserved.
Data management question five
Word limit: 100
What is the value of the data to others?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must provide details and justification of which data will have value to others and should be shared.
Data management question six
Word limit: 100
What is the length of any proprietary period?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must provide details and justification of the length of any proprietary period.
Data management question seven
Word limit: 100
How will the data be shared?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must provide details of how the data will be shared.
Data management question eight
Word limit: 125
What resources are needed to preserve and share data?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
In your response you must provide details and justification of any resources required to preserve and share the data.
Equality, diversity and inclusion question one
Word limit: 125
Please outline your team’s approach to equality, diversity and inclusion. What are the key challenges in your area or department and how will you seek to address these? Applicants who are applying on their own and are not part of a team do not need to answer this question.
Your response to this question will not be assessed.
Equality, diversity and inclusion question two
Word limit: 125
Is there any guidance available on monitoring the equality of opportunity for junior researchers on the team? Please provide details. Applicants who are applying on their own and are not part of a team do not need to answer this question.
Your response to this question will not be assessed.
Equality, diversity and inclusion question three
Word limit: 125
Do the applicants on the team responsible for managing the overall allocation have training on equality and diversity? If yes, is it mandatory? Please provide details. Applicants who are applying on their own and are not part of a team do not need to answer this question.
Your response to this question will not be assessed.
Equality, diversity and inclusion question four
Word limit: 125
Is there any guidance available on procedures to monitor and deal with bullying and harassment within the team? Please provide details. Applicants who are applying on their own and are not part of a team do not need to answer this question.
Your response to this question will not be assessed.
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 assessments 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.
