Scope

The Resource Allocation Committee (RAC) accepts the following proposal types:

• short proposals (up to 12 months)
• thematic proposals (up to three years)
• research software engineer (RSE) support (submitted directly to DiRAC)

A short proposal is a self-contained research project typically lasting three to six months, or up to a maximum of 12 months. This is for proposals intending to develop exploratory study by users new to Higher Performance Computing (HPC) or DiRAC.

A thematic proposal is a clearly defined research programme of outstanding scientific merit which requires significant HPC resources over a period longer than 12 months and up to 36 months. The proposed research should be world-leading, with the expectation of making step changes in knowledge by using DiRAC resources. You must demonstrate a track record of productive use of HPC. Thematic projects must be centred on a singular scientific theme, but can contain a small number of sub-projects and activities as long as they are clearly linked and must be within the same scientific theme, rather than a collection of different projects across multiple scientific themes.

Please read the guidance notes at the Additional information section for full details.

Please note that proposals for research software engineer support (for requests of three months or more) must be submitted separately directly to DiRAC by the closing date, please see the guidance document under Additional information.

Discretionary and seedcorn proposals may be submitted at any time direct to DiRAC, please see the guidance document under Additional information.

Duration

The duration of this award is up to 12 months for short proposals and up to three years for thematic proposals.

Projects may start by 1 April 2025, but later start dates can be requested.

Computing resources available

Please note the availability figures are provisional. Applicants may apply for resources up to 80% of the availability of the requested system. However, please note that the resources which are allocated may be lower depending on confirmation of the levels of systems availability. Please refer to Annex 1 of the applicant guidance notes for the availability figures. The guidance notes can be found under Additional information.

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.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

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.

Further guidance and information about TR&I, including where you can find additional support.

International collaboration

We welcome proposals that represent the UK’s contribution to an international research programme. However, it is expected the proposed research programme will enhance the UK’s research outputs. If any projects are heavily led by international collaborators, full reasons for this must be provided. If you are aware of any restrictions on your ability to acknowledge the use of DiRAC resources in your publications, for example because of rules within an international collaboration, you should indicate these in your proposal. Note that this will not affect the assessment of the proposal but will ensure that appropriate reporting mechanisms can be agreed with the project lead if the proposal is successful.

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.

Please note that there are two steps to the submission process:

1. Scientific applications must be submitted using the new Funding Service. This will cover the information required for the scientific case for support, project management plan and data management plan which in previous facility time opportunities were submitted as separate attachments via email to STFC. Scientific application forms will not be accepted via email.
2. A technical application form must be completed and sent directly to DiRAC via email: dirac-support@epcc.ed.ac.uk by the closing date of Thursday 12 September at 4:00pm UK time. If you are requesting RSE support, the RSE application form must also be sent directly to DiRAC via email: dirac-support@epcc.ed.ac.uk

Proposals will not be accepted unless both a scientific application has been submitted via the Funding Service and a technical application has been submitted to DiRAC.

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. We strongly suggest that if you are asking UKRI to add your organisation to the Funding Service to enable you to apply to this Opportunity, you also create an organisation Administration Account. This will be needed to allow the acceptance and management of any grant that might be offered to you.
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:

• 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 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

STFC must receive your application by 12 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

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.

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.

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

Application questions

Application type and peer review sub-panel

Word count: 15

Select relevant application type and peer review sub-panel.

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 count: 10

Have you submitted a technical application form direct to DiRAC?

What the assessors are looking for

Please enter ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Applications will not be accepted unless you submit a technical application form to DiRAC by the closing date.

Research software engineer support form

Word count: 10

Do you wish to apply for research software engineer support?

What the assessors are looking for

Please enter ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

If you are requesting research software engineer support you must submit your application form directly to DiRAC by the closing date.

Resource hours requested

Word count: 300

What is the number of resource hours requested?

Download and complete the resource table (DOCX, 26KB) 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.

Storage requirements

Word count: 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.

Download and complete the storage table (DOCX, 25KB). Copy and paste the table into the text box.

The codes you will be using

Word count: 300

What are the main codes you will be using?

Download and complete the codes table (DOCX, 23KB). 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.

Minimum computing resources required for the successful completion of the project

Word count: 100

What is the absolute minimum level of computing time required for successful completion of the project?

Please enter the minimum amount of time required for the successful completion of the project.

Number of users

Word count: 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)

Existing DiRAC allocations

Word count: 200

Is this proposal requesting resources relating to a science project which already has an existing DiRAC allocation?

Please enter ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

If ‘yes’, enter the allocation reference number and end date.

International collaborations

Word count: 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 count: 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 in the table below, and must be single-spaced in paper in 11-point Arial (or equivalent sans serif font) with margins of at least 2cm. You may include images, graphs, tables.

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 of how intensively the code will be used, and how much of the allocated time will be used by this code (for 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 (if your proposal contains more than one project)

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 count for this section is 1,650 words: 1,150 words to be used for R4RI modules (including references) 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

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.

Bullet points may be used.

References may be included within this section.

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 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. Please see further information in the applicant guidance notes.

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

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

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 this application is part of an experiment at an international facility, please indicate which facility

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.

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

Research involving the use of animals

Does your proposed research involve the use of vertebrate animals or other organisms covered by the Animals Scientific Procedures Act?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you are proposing research that requires using animals, download and complete the Animals Scientific Procedures Act template (DOCX, 74KB), which contains all the questions relating to research using vertebrate animals or other Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulated organisms.

Save it as a PDF. The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

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 resources requested are appropriate and justified
• the minimum level of resources required to deliver a viable project. Why the computing time requested is essential for the successful completion of the project, and the scientific impact of any cuts

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 1

Word count: 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 2

Word count: 125

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:

• 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
• if the project lead or any project co-leads on this project are project lead or project co-lead on other Research Allocation Committee (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

Project management question 3

Word count: 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 4

Word count: 125

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 5

Word count: 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 6

Word count: 125

Do you have a current RAC allocation which will still be active when this project has started? If yes, please provide full details of how the science is distinct, or if there are any overlaps please specify.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

In your response 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.

Project management question 7

Word count: 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 1

Word count: 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 2

Word count: 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 3

Word count: 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 4

Word count: 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 5

Word count: 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 6

Word count: 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 7

Word count: 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 8

Word count: 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 1

Word count: 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?

Your response to this question will not be assessed.

Equality, diversity and inclusion question 2

Word count: 125

Is there any guidance available on monitoring the equality of opportunity for junior researchers on the team? Please provide details.

Your response to this question will not be assessed.

Equality, diversity and inclusion question 3

Word count: 125

Do the investigators on the team responsible for managing the overall allocation have training on equality and diversity? If yes, is it mandatory? Please provide details.

Your response to this question will not be assessed.

Equality, diversity and inclusion Question 4

Word count 125

Is there any guidance available on procedures to monitor and deal with bullying and harassment within the team? Please provide details.

Your response to this question will not be assessed.

Assessment process

We will assess your application using the following process.

Your proposal will be assessed by the relevant sub-panel you have selected.

Peer review

We will invite external experts to review your application independently, against the specified criteria for this funding opportunity. External reviewers will be selected by the panel.

You will not be able to nominate reviewers for applications on the new UKRI Funding Service. External reviewers will be selected by the panel.

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.

Panel

Following peer review, we will invite the panel to use the evidence provided by reviewers and your applicant response to assess the quality of your application and rank it alongside other applications after which the panel will make a recommendation.

Timescale

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

The Astronomy and Cosmology Sub-Panel and the Particle Physics and Nuclear Theory Sub-Panel will meet in January or February 2025 to review your proposal.

The Research Allocation Committee (RAC) preliminary meeting will be held in February 2025.

The Main RAC Panel Meeting will be held in February or March 2025 where the final allocations will be decided.

We will make the final funding decision.

Find out more about STFC’s assessment process.

Feedback

We will give feedback with the outcome of your application during March 2025.

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.

Sharing data with DiRAC HPC facility

Completion of this application 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.

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

Assessment areas

Vision and Approach

Demonstrate how the work you are proposing:

• is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s)
• the potential to advance current understanding, generates new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area
• is timely given current trends, context and needs
• will impact world-leading research, society, the economy or the environment, or both
• is significant to the STFC science challenges and is of strategic value within the STFC programme
• is nationally and internationally competitive
• fits within the UK’s activity in this area and its international standing

Demonstrate that you have designed your approach so that it:

• is effective and appropriate to achieve their 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, or your team’s, research environment (in terms of the place, and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work
• involves the use of appropriate codes and methods and contains an explanation of why they are appropriate for the work being proposed
• explains how intensively the code will be used and how much of the allocated time will be used by this code
• if applicable, clearly justifies any exclusive use of the DiRAC systems, including potential dates and durations
• shows the prioritisation of projects if the proposal contains more than one project
• includes a table to show the resources requested for each sub-project across each year of the award (if your proposal contains more than one project)

Applicant and team capability to deliver

Provide 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 their 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

Resources and justification

Have you demonstrated how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work:

• are comprehensive, appropriate, and fully justified, and explain why you are requesting the specific DiRAC system (Memory Intensive, Extreme Scaling, or Data Intensive)
• represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
• maximise potential outcomes and impacts
• are the minimum level required to deliver a viable project, and demonstrated why the computing time requested is essential for the successful completion of the project and the scientific impact of any cuts

Project management plan

Your project management plan must include the following:

• full details of how the project will be managed including the management structure, reporting lines, frequency of team meetings and the flow of communications between team members
• sufficient staff effort to successfully complete the project and fully use the 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), clear specification of how they will distribute their time across multiple projects and manage conflicting commitments
• if applicable, full details of any internal allocation process for the allocation of computing time to sub-projects within this proposal if this differs from the figures presented in the proposal against each sub-project
• a full, comprehensive work plan with milestones against which the progress of the project will be measured
• an appropriate risk and mitigation analysis including compute time and storage, staff and technical risks
• full details of any overlaps between this proposal and any current RAC allocations which are still active when this project has started and assurance that the science is distinct and not a duplication
• full details of the publication plans arising from the work in this proposal

Data management plan

Provide a good quality response to the STFC Data Management Plan addressing the following points:

• 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
• details of the types of data to be preserved and how
• details of any software and metadata implications
• the software and metadata that will be retained to enable the data to be read and interpreted
• how long the data will be preserved
• details and justification of which data will have value to others and should be shared
• details and justification of the length of any proprietary period
• details of how the data will be shared
• details and justification of any resources required to preserve and share the data

RAC additional scoring considerations (panel assessment only)

The RAC additional scoring criteria is as follows:

• alignment of the proposal with the facility time opportunity guidelines
• full and effective usage of previous DiRAC allocations (not applicable if you have not had a previous DiRAC allocation, and not applicable to seedcorn allocations). Reasons for any underuse of previous DiRAC allocations will be taken into consideration

Technical assessment by DiRAC RSE team of the technical application

The assessment by the technical team will include the following:

• appropriateness of the proposed architecture or machine selection
• efficiency of resource usage and how well code(s) vectorise

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

The assessment areas we will use are:

• vision and approach (total weighting 40%)
• applicant and team capability to deliver (total weighting 10%)
• resources and justification (total weighting 5%)
• project management plan (total weighting 10%)
• data management plan, with reference to the STFC Data Management policy (total weighting 10%)
• technical assessment by the DiRAC RSE Team of the technical application (total weighting 20%):
  • appropriateness of the proposed architecture or machine selection
  • efficiency of resource usage and how well code(s) vectorise
• RAC additional scoring considerations (panel assessment only, total weighting 5%)

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 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 DiRACRAC@stfc.ac.uk

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.

For further information on submitting an application read How applicants use the Funding Service.

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.

Background

You must read the guidance provided here:

DiRAC RAC Facility Time Opportunity RAC17 Guidance notes for Applicants (PDF, 192KB)

Supporting documents

Resource table for the number of resource hours requested (DOCX, 26KB)

Resource table for storage requirements (DOCX, 25KB)

Resource table for code to be used (DOCX, 23KB)

Technical application form (DOCX, 129KB)

RSE application form (DOCX, 96KB)

RSE guidance notes (PDF, 86KB)

STFC funding opportunities equality impact assessment

Additional disability and accessibility adjustments

UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process if required.

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.