We are running this funding opportunity on the new UKRI Funding Service. 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 UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
To apply:
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
1. Confirm you are the project lead.
2. Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email support@funding-service.ukri.org
Please allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service.
3. 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.
4. Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
5. Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.
Watch our research office webinars about the new UKRI Funding Service.
Deadline
We must receive your application by 22 November 2023 by 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 close of the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.
Personal data
Processing personal data
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.
Publication of outcomes
MRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at Board and panel outcomes.
If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.
Summary
Word count: 550
In plain English, provide a summary of the need you are seeking to address, your proposed solution, the rationale for why your proposed solution is likely to meet the targeted need, and your development plan.
We may make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, so 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))
- researcher co-lead (RcL)
- specialist
- grant manager
- professional enabling staff
- research and innovation associate
- technician
- visiting researcher
Only list one individual as project lead.
Find out more about UKRI’s new grant roles.
Core questions
Related applications
Word count: 800
If this is a resubmission, provide a response to feedback from your previous Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS) application.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If your application is not a resubmission, enter ‘N/A’ in the text box, mark this section as complete and move to the next question.
If your application is a re-submission to DPFS, please provide previous reference number and identify any invitations from us permitting your re-submission.
Ensure you describe:
- how this application differs from the previous application
- how previous feedback has been considered and addressed
Opportunity and market
Word count: 800
What is the opportunity or challenge you are seeking to address?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Ensure you describe:
- the health or clinical need you are seeking to address
- how your work could lead to the development of a new or improved prototype, product, service or technology
- how meeting this need could significantly reduce disease burden or alleviate an important translational bottleneck
- the competing solutions and their status, including whether similar or complementary research is being taken elsewhere
- the key competitive advantages of your proposed solution
- the potential market for your proposed solution, in terms of the target product profile, patient numbers and financial parameters
Scientific background and current stage of development
Word count: 1,000
What is the background to this application and evidence to support the proposed solution?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Ensure that you provide:
- a brief description of the current stage of development
- an overview of the rationale and scientific background of your application
- information about your previous or current funding (if applicable) that has enabled and informed the proposed work, include any previous UKRI grant references. If you will have any funding concurrent to this project, explain any overlap and how that funding will support the proposed work
- in the case of applications involving Institutes, Units or Centres with existing core funding, including those funded by UKRI and NIHR, such as BRCs, describe how the proposed work and resources requested builds on, but is distinct from, core funded programmes of research
In this section, you must also provide supporting data (including a small selection of figures, tables and images where relevant) to demonstrate the current development stage of your project and proof-of-concept to support your application.
If applicable, include any relevant figures:
- provide only a small selection of images that complement the written content in a section
- include within the image itself only text that is an integral part of it
- include a brief description of the image within the ‘Alternative description’ text field, so that screen reader software can describe the image to meet accessibility requirements
- include all other text associated with the description of the image, such as the figure number, figure title and figure legend, within the narrative text so that it can be read by screen readers and contribute to the word count of a section
Small molecule supplementary information
Word count: 1,500
If you are requesting funding for a hit to lead, lead optimisation or candidate selection project, please provide structures.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If your application is not about hit-to-lead and lead optimisation, enter ‘N/A’ in the text box, mark this section as complete and move to the next question.
Download and complete the DPFS small molecule supplementary information form (DOCX, 47KB), then paste the table into the text box.
Using the following headings, ensure that you provide:
Target Product Profile (TPP) or Key Target Compound Parameters of the proposed Investigational New Drug (IND):
- target name
- mechanism of action, such as agonist, antagonist
- route of administration, such as oral, IV, topical
- duration of treatment, such as acute, chronic
- dosage regimen, such as twice daily
Structure and Data
- provide structures for the most promising chemical series being actively developed. Failure to include chemical structures may negatively impact the ability to assess the suitability or strengths of your proposed chemistry plan
- using the table as a template, summarise the available data in the same column for each series. Data are requested for any available assays for the lead molecule shown and the range seen within the chemical series, including (but not limited to):
- biological assays
- physicochemical properties
- liabilities and development risks for up to two chemotypes or chemical series
Project Tractability
- summarise the main structure activity or property relationships for each chemical series
- highlight the key challenges to optimisation of the series towards the TPP and outline how these will be addressed
- describe the biological assays and models to be used in the project including their duration and throughput where relevant
- explain how risk associated with the translation between in vivo assays, in models, and activity in humans will be minimised
Development plan and route to patient benefit
Word count: 500
What is the proposed approach for further development, and how will the project progress the innovation or technology towards achieving market or health or patient benefits?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Using the following headings, outline your:
Current development plan
- how the proposed work will enable its development
- the project’s primary objectives
- the project endpoint that would indicate that there is a reasonable chance of attracting onward investment
- the expertise or any consultancy required to deliver the proposed work
- how the proposed work will inform or deploy the product or technology using the most appropriate route to market or patient benefit
Exit strategy
- what further support you may need, following this funding, to deliver your product or technology, such as access to further funding, networks, partnerships, private investment and skills
- criteria that would need to be met to access further support
- if you are ultimately seeking to develop a commercial product, the potential market value and how this will be realised, such as business development plans
- any engagement taken place or planned with potential downstream funders, partners or regulators, outlining who they are and the status of discussions
- the plans and strategy for further development, outlining the planned route to achieving patient benefits following the end of the DPFS project
Approach
Word count: 2,000
How are you going to deliver your proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide an outline of your project plan, including your plans related to methodology and experimental design, along with your risk management strategy.
Project plan
Provide a summary of the project plan, along with your embedded ‘Gantt chart’ (to support your application), which should outline:
- your project specific deliverables
- your project’s starting point and approaches proposed to deliver the planned objectives
- a minimum of two key progression milestones (one being the project end)
- for each milestone, the success criteria that will be used, detailing the robust ‘Go/No-go’ criteria, and an estimate of costs per milestone
- the overall timeframe of the project
- the resourcing necessary to deliver the proposed work, including access to facilities, infrastructure or equipment
- if applicable, any NHS costs (excess treatment and NHS support costs), exception costs and outsourcing activity that the project will require
- the project management requirements, including the commitment and involvement from your:
- research office
- translational research office, your technology transfer office’ or both
To support your project plan, you must embed a Gantt chart in the text box, that includes:
- project tasks (these being short, achievable and measurable activities) with, where relevant, the party responsible for delivering the task and dependency between tasks
- milestones which are major specifically-timed ‘Go/No-go’ decision points
Methodology and experimental design
As part of your methodology and experimental design, ensure that you outline:
- the use of animals or patients, including justification for why specific animal models or clinical populations have been chosen, following the MRC embedding diversity in research design policy
- the access you will have to statistical support during the project
- the statistical analysis plans, including sufficient detail for the replication of proposed sample sizes and power calculations
- the anticipated effects sizes and variability
- potential sources of bias and describe the strategies that will be adopted to minimise their effects
- for clinical studies, the recruitment and retention approach
Risk management
Outline the key risks to the project and your risk management plan, including:
- how likely the risks are to occur
- what their impact would be on the success and deliverability of the project
- how these risks will be managed, by whom and related escalation or mitigations procedures
You may use a risk table if preferred.
We suggest you structure your response using the following headings, with approximate word counts for each:
- project plan: 1,000 words
- methodology and experimental design: 500 words
- risk management: 500 words
Applicant and team capability to deliver
Word count: 1500
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 relevant experience of research translation
- 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 word count for this section is 1,500 words, 1,000 words to be used for R4RI modules and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.
Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you and, if relevant, your team (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
Also include, where relevant any other information of relevance to the proposal, for example: previous experience of research translation.
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.
UKRI has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the Funding Service.
For full details, see Eligibility as an individual.
References
Word count: 250
List the references you have used to support your application.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Include all references in this section, not in the rest of the application questions.
You should not include any other information in this section.
Ensure your application is a self-contained description. You can provide hyperlinks to relevant publications or online resources. However, assessors are not obliged to access the information they lead to or consider it in their assessment of your application. You must not include links to web resources in order to extend your application.
If linking to web resources, to maintain the information’s integrity, include persistent identifiers (such as digital object identifiers) where possible.
Intellectual Property (IP) management and dissemination of project outcomes
Word count: 800
What IP will be generated and how it would be managed during the project?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If your project will not generate any new IP, enter ‘N/A’ into the text box. A detailed definition of what DPFS considers to be IP is below.
IP is a collective term for all intangible assets such as data, clinical trial results, software, know-how, materials, inventions, methods, designs and the associated intellectual property rights (including patents, copyright and trademarks).
The generation of protectable IP is not an essential requirement for DPFS. Projects that will not generate patentable materials but that will nevertheless have the potential to provide health benefits are accepted on an equal basis. However, ownership and management of IP must be consistent with our funding requirements. Projects with no plausible route to exploitation and ultimate health benefit or impact are extremely unlikely to be supportable.
You should:
- describe any new IP or knowledge that the project is expected to generate
- outline how any intellectual assets generated will be managed throughout the project to enable further development and ensure future success
- confirm the organisations or individuals who will own any arising IP and any live, pending or envisioned agreements governing ownership or exploitation of that IP
- outline if the applicants have freedom to operate for this project, for future development work, or for clinical use
- if access to background IP is required, explain this including the organisations or individuals that hold the relevant background IP rights. If this background IP is held by a third party (or a non-academic applicant), has access been agreed? If not, why do you believe you will be able to access the required IP on reasonable terms
Project partners
Word count: 1,000
Provide details of any project partners’ contributions, and letters or emails of support from each named partner.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Download and complete the Project partner contributions template (DOCX, 52KB).
Each letter or email you provide should:
- confirm the partner’s commitment to the project
- clearly explain the value, relevance, and possible benefits of the work to them
- describe any additional value that they bring to the project
Save letters or emails of support from each partner in a single PDF no bigger than 8MB. Unless specially requested, please do not include any personal data within the attachment.
For the file name, use the unique funding service number the system gives you when you create an application, followed by the words ‘Project partner’.
If the attachment does not meet these requirements, the application will be rejected.
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the contributions template.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Do not provide letters of support from host and project co-leads’ research organisations.
Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
Word count: 500
What are the ethical or RRI implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:
- the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations
- how you will manage these considerations
Consider the MRC guidance on ethics and approvals.
Section: Outline costs
Provide costs that reflect, as accurately as possible, the funding you will need.
