Scope

This funding opportunity aims to establish collaborative research networks. These networks will enable knowledge sharing and creation across research communities, bringing together diverse groupings of researchers and other stakeholders around a shared research agenda.

The scope of this funding opportunity covers the breadth of BBSRC’s scientific remit, also including relevant cross-disciplinary interfaces. For more information on BBSRC’s scientific remit, please see the BBSRC Forward Look and BBSRC’s strategic delivery plan under the Additional information section.

We encourage submission of networks to support discovery science or challenge-led research areas. We are keen to see networks in areas of emerging importance with a clear rationale to tackle research opportunities and challenges at a more coordinated community level.

Multidisciplinary networks inclusive of disciplines beyond bioscience are particularly encouraged where this will strengthen delivery of the research agenda.

Networks should:

• have a clear focus around an emerging research area or research challenge
• have a strong vision for the change they want to create within the research landscape during the funding period of the network
• represent a diversity of thought and show some evidence of community co-development or buy-in
• demonstrate leadership and aim to strengthen capability in the UK research base
• integrate research communities to gain new knowledge, strengthen science disciplines and break down barriers to research progress
• encourage inclusion of a diverse range of individuals, disciplines and stakeholders across academia, industry, and policy relevant to the focus of the network, to ensure the outcomes and impacts of work undertaken by the network are maximised
• identify challenges within the equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) space and how these can be addressed, including those experienced by minoritised and under-represented groups

We expect networks to:

• have a strong, inclusive and open leadership team that will act on behalf of and in partnership with the wider research community
• demonstrate the added value BBSRC funding would bring
• include an external advisory group that provides support and advice
• be based in the UK and actively seek to grow the membership of the network during the award
• consider equality, inclusion and diversity in its activities, including where relevant outreach across career paths, career stages, expertise levels, and to underrepresented groups as required

Examples of under-represented or minoritised groups may include individuals belonging to a protected characteristic group, such as an ethnic minority group, women, individuals who are disabled or individuals who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, it can also include those who have caring responsibilities or other communities who have requested additional support from their network.

An initial list of network members is not required. Previously funded networks are eligible to apply if they meet the scope of the funding opportunity.

BBSRC reserves the right to join the external advisory group as an observer.

Pilot scheme

This is a pilot scheme running through BBSRC’s Responsive Mode.

Networks map across several of the high-level objectives in BBSRC’s strategic delivery plan. For the most part, BBSRC has funded community networks via targeted calls and network funding via responsive mode has been an underutilised opportunity to catalyse new collaborations across BBSRC’s remit.

Following community feedback, we want to create a broader and more impactful opportunity for bottom-up networks to apply for support. This will enable timely development of community-driven networks across a broader range of research areas. The pilot includes some modifications to the standard responsive mode application form and assessment criteria to tailor assessment towards network grants.

Examples of the types of activity that can be supported include:

• workshops and other events
• online platforms and other communications-related activities to support network activities, for example a network website
• salary costs for time spent on leading and managing the network
• administrative support to help coordinate the network
• flexible funding, for example supporting small projects, people exchange or training that contribute to the networks goals
• awards which ‘spotlight’ achievements within the network, including from individuals from under-represented groups
• mentoring, particularly for individuals from under-represented groups
• travel and subsistence, including for members to meet to exchange ideas and expertise and to visit each other’s laboratories. Industrial collaborators should meet their own costs where possible

For more information on the background of this funding opportunity, go to the Additional information section.

Duration

The duration of this award is up to three years.

Funding available

The FEC of your project can be up to £650,000. BBSRC will fund 80% of the FEC with the following exceptions:

• costs may be requested for a network manager (full or part-time) payable at 100% FEC to provide administrative support for the day-to-day network activities such as project management, event coordination and communications
• as a community support role, the salary of the network manager can be requested at 100% FEC
• no general estates and indirect costs should be claimed in association with network manager’s role if claimed at 100% FEC
• costs requested at 100% FEC should be listed under Exceptions

Flexible funds

A flexible fund to support small scale activities aligned to the network may be requested, up to a maximum value of £160,000 at 100% FEC. BBSRC will pay 80% of the FEC.

Flexible funds may be awarded by the network to members to support, for example, feasibility studies, skills development, business interaction, short secondments or researcher exchanges.

Clear justification for how the flexible fund will be used must be provided. BBSRC reserves the right to sign off the assessment process for any flexible funding competitions.

Network leadership

Salary costs for the network director (project lead), co-director and typically no more than up to six additional core team members may be requested to cover their time spent developing the network. BBSRC will fund 80% of the FEC. We encourage participation of eligible early career researchers or research technical professionals within the leadership team, particularly individuals with lived experience of under-representation.

Salary costs for members of the external advisory group or other network members should not be included in the proposal.

What we will not fund

We will not fund:

• applicants who are not based at UK institutions are not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity. However, international researchers can be network members
• networks focused only on training are not supported

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

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I Principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.

As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.

See further guidance and information about TR&I – including where you can find additional support.

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.

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. Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
5. Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
6. Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.

Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. You should:

• use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
• insert each new image onto a new line
• provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
• ensure files are smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Watch our research office webinars about the new Funding Service.

For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:

• how applicants use the Funding Service
• how research offices use the Funding Service
• how reviewers use the Funding Service

References

Applications should be self-contained, and hyperlinks should only be used to provide links directly to reference information. To ensure the information’s integrity is maintained, where possible, persistent identifiers such as digital object identifiers should be used. Assessors are not required to access links to carry out assessment or recommend a funding decision. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.

References should be included in the appropriate question section of the application and be easily identifiable by the assessors for example (Smith, Research Paper, 2019).

You must not include links to web resources to extend your application.

Deadline

BBSRC must receive your application by 25 September 2024 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 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

BBSRC, 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

BBSRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity on the UKRI Gateway to Research.

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

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 network addresses
• aims and objectives
• potential applications and benefits
• its relevance to the BBSRC long-term research and innovation priorities and, if applicable Responsive Mode Spotlight areas

Core team

List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:

• project lead (PL)
• project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
• specialist
• grant manager
• professional enabling staff
• research and innovation associate
• technician
• researcher co-lead (RcL)

Only list one individual as project lead.

Please see some additional guidance on the core team:

• the network director must be the project lead (PL) of the application
• at least one network co-director should be included as a project co-lead (PcL) of the application
• a network manager is strongly encouraged
• we recommend the core team membership is limited to no more than eight applicants, including the director and network manager

Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.

Application questions

Vision

Word limit: 550

What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how your proposed work:

• is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s)
• has the potential to advance current understanding, generates new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field/area
• is timely given current trends, context and needs
• impacts world-leading research, society, the economy or the environment
• will embed EDI considerations into activities such as stakeholder engagement, events and networking, and how these will guide your aims

Within the Vision section we also expect you to:

• describe the concept, context and coordination function of your network
• demonstrate the alignment of the network to this opportunity
• clearly state the research challenges that you will address
• address the potential challenges encountered by network members in this research area, including members who are from under-represented groups

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Please make sure to check sizing and readability of the image using ‘read view’ prior to submission. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

References may be included within this section.

Approach

Word limit: 2,800

How are you going to deliver your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how you have designed your approach so that it:

• is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives
• is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed
• 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
• will build EDI considerations into the formation, operation and governance of the network, including how these will be operationalised

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Please make sure to check sizing and readability of the image using ‘read view’ prior to submission. Further details are provided in the service.

References may be included within this section.

Within the Approach section we also expect you to:

• provide a detailed and comprehensive project plan including milestones and timelines
• explain how you will undertake community and stakeholder engagement and wider participation
• evidence co-creation and user engagement
• demonstrate how the network will identify and develop partnerships with relevant parties which contribute to the aims of the grant
• demonstrate access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment to deliver the application
• outline future plans for sustaining the network beyond this application, or for funding research which may develop from the partnership
• if applicable, provide details of flexible funding including how it supports your objectives such as building capacity in key fields and career stages
• if applicable, provide details of how you plan to distribute and manage flexible funding through robust, transparent and competitive processes

Activities focused on increasing engagement with individuals from minority groups should, wherever possible, be based on quantitative and qualitative evidence. For example, EDI data collected from the network community and the networks’ potential outreach as well as qualitative evidence such as the lived experience of the members of the network.

This evidence building can be built into the activities within the network; a strong evidence base prior to application is not mandatory. The networks will need to identify a clear strategy for addressing these challenges through the funding available and identify potential solutions and opportunities for engagement with these communities with the goal of tackling these challenges. If applicable, include information on how you will acquire and manage EDI data under the ‘Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)’ question

Governance

Word limit: 500

How will you manage the award to successfully deliver its objectives?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how the proposed award will be managed, demonstrating that it:

• has an overall governance appropriate for the oversight and successful delivery of the network
• will be effectively and inclusively managed, with clear leadership team roles and responsibilities
• has an external advisory group, which is independent from both the academic institutions and project partners involved in the proposal. Provide information on the proposed membership of this advisory group and how it will be used
• has plans for monitoring your progress as well as self-evaluation throughout the lifetime of your award
• if applicable, will manage and encourage partnerships with non-HEI organisations across government, industry and civil society
• if applicable, will put in place appropriate governance and administration to deliver flexible funds
• has equality, diversity and inclusion embedded in plans for convening and engaging with their community and the allocation of the awarded funds

Where possible, we encourage the involvement of early career researchers and research technical professionals within the leadership or management team. We also encourage the leadership team to consult individuals with relevant lived experience during the development of this application and include these individuals in the core team.

Within this section you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. You must:

• use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
• insert each new image onto a new line
• provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
• files must be: in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
• be smaller than 5MB

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

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

The word count for this section is 1,650 words, 1,150 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 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 this section using the R4RI module headings listed below. 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).

You should complete this section as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.

UKRI has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new Funding Service.

For full details, see Eligibility as an individual.

Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

Word limit: 500

What are the ethical and 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

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.

Additional sub-questions (to be answered only if appropriate) relating to research involving:

• animals
• human participants
• genetically modified organisms

Resources and cost justification

Word limit: 1,000

What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular:

• project staff
• significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences)
• any equipment that will cost more than £10,000
• any consumables beyond typical requirements, or that are required in exceptional quantities
• all facilities and infrastructure costs
• all resources that have been costed as ‘Exceptions’
• international collaboration costs

Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources. Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work:

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

Project partners

Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.

A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct (cash) or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time or use of facilities.

Add the following project partner details:

• the organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)
• the project partner contact name and email address
• the type of contribution (direct or in-direct) and its monetary value

If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Project partners: statement of support

Word limit: 3,000

Only complete a statement of support if you have named project partners in the project partner section above. A statement is required to be provided from each partner you named in the ‘Project partners’ section.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct (cash) or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time or use of facilities.

Each statement 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

Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the ‘Project partners’ section.

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Do not provide a statement of support from host and project co-leads’ research organisations.

Do not provide a statement of support from collaborators.

Data management and sharing

Word limit: 500

How will you manage and share data collected or acquired through the proposed research?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide a data management plan that clearly details how you will comply with UKRI’s published data sharing policy, which includes detailed guidance notes.

Facilities

Word limit: 250

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

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you will need to use a facility, follow your proposed facility’s normal access request procedures. Ensure you have prior agreement so that if you are offered funding, they will support the use of their facility on your project.

For each requested facility you will need to provide the:

• name of facility, copied and pasted from the facility information list (DOCX, 35KB)
• proposed usage or costs, or costs per unit where indicated on the facility information list
• confirmation you have their agreement where required

If you will not need to use a facility, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

Word limit: 100

Does the proposed work involve international collaboration in a sensitive research or technology area?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Demonstrate how your proposed international collaboration relates to Trusted Research and Innovation, including:

• list the countries your international project co-leads, project partners and visiting researchers, or other collaborators are based in
• if international collaboration is involved, explain whether this project is relevant to one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act
• if one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act are involved list the areas

If your proposed work does not involve international collaboration, answer ‘n/a’ here.

We may ask you to provide additional information about how your proposed project will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help manage these risks.

Assessment process

We will assess your application using the following process.

The applications will be assessed in BBSRC responsive mode 24RM3 by members of our four committees.

Peer review

We will invite experts to review your application independently, against the specified criteria for this funding opportunity.

You will not be able to nominate reviewers for applications on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service. Research councils will continue to select expert reviewers.

We are monitoring the requirement for applicant-nominated reviewers as we review policies and processes as part of the continued development of the new Funding Service.

There will be an opportunity for you to respond to reviewer comments, following the 24RM3 timeline.

Panel

We will invite experts from the responsive mode committees to assess the quality of your application.

Your application will not be ranked with other responsive mode research grant submissions.

Following assessment, a final funding recommendation will be made to BBSRC. Decisions will factor the quality of submissions and the portfolio of networks supported.

BBSRC reserves the right to modify the assessment process, for example in response to higher than expected demand.

Timescale

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

Feedback

We will give feedback with the outcome of your application based on a summary of the combined discussions that took place during the discussion period and the meeting itself – feedback does not include reasons why an application is or isn’t funded.

Principles of assessment

We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.

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

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

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

• Vision
• Approach
• Governance
• Applicant and team capability to deliver
• Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
• Resources and cost justification

Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the ‘Application questions’ heading in the ‘How to apply’ section.

Get help with your application

If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page

Important note: The Helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the Helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding Finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility or content/remit of an opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.

Contact details

For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.

For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact:

• eligibility: eligibility@bbsrc.ukri.org
• scope and remit: networkspilot@bbsrc.ukri.org

Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.

Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org
Phone: 01793 547490

Our phone lines are open:

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

To help us process queries quicker, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.

Find more information on submitting an application.

Sensitive information

If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email peer.review@bbsrc.ukri.org

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.

Existing BBSRC-supported networks

• Networks in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy (NIBB)
• AIBIO-UK network
• UK Food Safety Research network
• The UK Ageing network
• PhenomUK network
• BioImagingUK Community network
• Transdisciplinary networks to tackle antimicrobial resistance

Research disruption due to COVID-19

We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:

• breaks and delays
• disruptive working patterns and conditions
• the loss of ongoing work
• role changes that may have been caused by the pandemic

Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing.

Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption.