You must apply using the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system.
You can find advice on completing your application in the Je-S handbook.
We recommend you start your application early.
Your host organisation will also be able to provide advice and guidance.
Submitting your application
Before starting an application, you will need to log in or create an account in Je-S.
When applying:
- select ‘documents’, then ‘new document’
- select ‘call search’
- to find the opportunity, search for: Capital Call 2022.
This will populate:
- council: STFC
- document type: Standard Proposal
- scheme: Futures Programme
- call/type/mode: Capital Call 2022.
Once you have completed your application, make sure you ‘submit document’.
Any co-investigators that will be named on the application must have an individual Je-S accounts for themselves or will need to create an account in order to be added to an application.
You must ensure that you have obtained permission from any other person named on the proposal form, for example any co-investigators or project partners. This is for the provision of their personal information to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the processing of their data by UKRI for the purpose of assessing the application and management of any funding awarded.
You can save completed details in Je-S at any time and return to continue your application later.
Deadline
STFC must receive your application by 22 September 2022 at 16:00.
You will not be able to apply after this time. Please leave enough time for your proposal to pass through your organisation’s Je-S submission route before this date.
You should ensure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines that may be in place.
Attachments
All attachments should use 11pt sans serif font throughout, with a minimum of 2cm margins around each page. Please submit all application attachments in PDF to Je-S to avoid any issues with corrupt files.
The following attachments should be included in your application.
Je-S proposal proforma (mandatory)
Please include the STFC reference for the grant that the requested equipment will support within the summary or objectives section.
Case for support (mandatory)
Your case for support should comprise the following two sections.
Project overview
The project overview must be two pages.
This section should be a description of the STFC project that the capital funding will support, highlighting any key findings to date, and if the project is on track. This will be used to determine if the requested capital can be justified within the remit of the project as a whole.
The project overview should also detail any resource funding needed for commissioning activities and how this funding will be used.
You should address:
- how the equipment requested will support early technology development within the project
- how the resource requested will support equipment commissioning activities within the project
- the link to science, technology or expertise capabilities arising from the STFC core science programme (nuclear physics, particle physics, astronomy, space science) or core programme research in the national facilities (Central Laser Facility, ISIS, Diamond)
- demonstrate the existence of an active relevant STFC core programme grant that would be supported by this funding.
Equipment justification
You are permitted to request a maximum of three items of equipment.
You must ensure full justification (including commercial value) for the items is clearly stated in the equipment justification. This section should:
- describe the cost of the equipment
- include any quotes already obtained
- provide a brief business case stating why the equipment is needed
- explain how it will add value to the existing STFC project.
You must attach a letter of support from the research organisation or project partner detailing the proposed contribution to the cost of the equipment:
- items costing less than £138,000: one-page justification per item
- items costing more than £138,000: two-page justification per item.
If the item being requested is for a prototype and needs individual components, the prototype as whole is classified as a single item.
Letters of support (mandatory)
Your letters of support should be a maximum of two pages each.
Include letters of support (signed and dated within three months) for the following:
- from the partner country institutions involved in the project
- any organisations entered on the Je-S form as project partners (a project partner is an organisation which contributes in cash or in-kind to the project, but which is not requesting any money
- from the research organisation or partner confirming the percentage contribution to the equipment being requested (mandatory)
- from the lead institution’s finance or procurement team (or research office) that they agree and understand that the equipment must be received by 31 March 2023 (mandatory).
Resources to be provided by any project partners, whether in cash or in-kind contributions, should be clearly identified in the proposal. Project partners’ contributions in cash or in-kind should be seen as additional to the STFC’s contribution.
Je-S only allows for a maximum of three attachments. If the proposal is benefited by additional letters of support, please combine multiple letters into one document before uploading it.
Read more about what to include in your proposal.
Data management plan (mandatory)
The data management plan should be a maximum of two pages.
While this attachment is a mandatory system requirement, an actual data management plan is unnecessary for this opportunity. Blank documents can be uploaded in its place.
Quotations (where necessary)
The quotation information you need to provide depends on the equipment value. (Equipment values include VAT):
- equipment £10,000 to £25,000: no quotes required
- equipment £25,000 to £138,000: three verbal quotes to be detailed in the case for support (written quotes are optional)
- for single items of equipment over £138,000, three quotes should be attached. A two-page business case will be required for each item of equipment above £138,000, outlining the strategic need for the equipment.
If there is a sole supplier or fewer than three quotes for items costing over £25,000, this should be justified in the case for support and blank documents should be uploaded as equipment quotes in place of mandatory attachments.
It is the responsibility of the principal investigator to ensure that any information is worded in such a way to protect commercially confidential or sensitive areas. STFC will assume that you have obtained necessary permission from any party that may be involved in the application.
Do not attach any documents additional to those listed above even though Je-S allows other documents, such as CVs, list of publications etc.
Due to the short timescales in which this opportunity is being run, failure to provide the necessary documents will result in the application being rejected rather than returned for amendment.
Joint proposals
If you wish to submit a proposal with applicants from both UK research organisations and STFC labs, read our guidance on submitting joint proposals with STFC (PDF, 112KB).
