Aim

The aim of this opportunity is to foster a better understanding of the causes of dietary health inequalities in the UK food system and deliver place-based, solution-focused interventions to improve equity and health.

Scope

The National Food Strategy was an independent and comprehensive review of the UK food system. It highlighted that one of the biggest challenges in the food system is health inequality, which is stark and getting worse. Statistics show:

• a man in one of the 10% most affluent postcodes will live, on average, 9.5 years longer than his peer living in one of the least affluent postcodes
• women in the most deprived areas have a shorter life expectancy of 7.7 years than women in more affluent areas
• there is a gap of 19 years for healthy life expectancy between the lowest and highest socioeconomic groups

For the purpose of this opportunity, food insecurity is described as when a household’s ability to acquire adequate quality or sufficient quantity of food in socially acceptable ways at all times cannot be guaranteed. Analysis of the annual National Diet and Nutrition Survey shows that adults on low incomes are more likely to have diets which are high in sugar and low in fibre, fruits, vegetables, and fish. Children in the most deprived 20% of the population consume around 29% less fruits and vegetables, 75% less oily fish, and 17% less fibre per day than children from the least deprived 20%. Their families would need to spend 47% of their disposable income on food to meet dietary recommendations, compared to those living in the least deprived 20%, who only need to spend 11% of their disposable income.

People living in the most deprived decile are almost twice as likely to die from all preventable causes, compared to those in the least deprived decile. They are:

• more than twice as likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes
• twice as likely to die from preventable heart disease
• 1.7 times more likely to die from preventable cancer
• children are nearly twice as likely to be overweight or obese at age 11
• children are three times more likely to have tooth decay at age five
• children are four times more likely to be severely obese when they arrive at primary school and five times more likely to be severely obese when they leave it

Regional health inequalities are well-documented and with household incomes not expected to reach their pre-cost-of-living crisis peak until 2027 at the earliest, the challenge is only becoming greater. Households in the North-East buy on average 300g fewer fruits and vegetables per week compared to those in the South-East, with the percentage of children eligible for free school meals being 27.5% in the North-East compared to 16 to 17% in Southern England.

Households in the most deprived areas are often situated in so-called ‘food swamps’ where the availability of fast-food outlets convenience stores that sell foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt, are much greater than in more affluent postcodes. For example, in one area in Northwest England, there are 230 fast food outlets for every 100,000 people, compared to an England-wide average of 96. Conversely, ‘food deserts’ also create health inequalities within localities. A food desert can be described as an impoverished area where residents lack access to healthy foods. In the UK approximately 1.2 million people are living in food deserts.

For many food insecure households, the food system does not allow for consistent access to affordable, sustainable, safe, and healthy food. This has been exacerbated by the current cost-of-living crisis, rising inflation, geopolitical and climate-related events, which are increasing food prices and the challenge of helping low-income families to eat well. This investment aims to reduce dietary health inequalities, which would have both immediate and long-term benefits, not just for those people who would live longer in better health, but also for the economic outlook of the whole country by reducing health and social care costs and increasing productivity.

There are two themes in this opportunity, and it is expected that proposals will address both through a place-based approach. These themes are:

Understanding the causes of dietary health inequalities in the UK food system

This theme includes:

• understanding the factors that affect access to, and affordability of, a healthy balanced diet in deprived communities
• understanding the dietary choices of those in low-income groups, including individuals within the same family or social circle, and the relationship to dietary quality, nutritional status, and health outcomes
• understanding the lived experiences and social or cultural norms of low-income groups and how the cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated the challenges faced by deprived communities for example, affordability, cooking and storage facilities, food preparation skills, time, and resource
• understanding the factors influencing the allocation of food within low-income households and implications for physical and mental health outcomes
• understanding how the food system (from sustainable production through to consumption) and food environments influence food availability, food choices and health outcomes in low-income groups. The latter includes physical food environments, out of home eating, and online food environments
• understanding how the consumption of commonly-eaten products, including for example, convenience and fast-foods, impacts on physical and mental health and wellbeing, nutritional status, gut health, gut-brain signalling, satiety, emotional wellbeing

Deployable interventions to achieve equitable and healthy consumption and a socially just UK food system

This theme includes:

• designing and delivering place-based interventions to reduce geographical dietary health inequalities (for example, increasing access to fresh fruit and vegetables and foods high in dietary fibre in areas with food ‘deserts’ and food ‘swamps’), including the role of national-level policymaking in enabling change
• transforming the food system and food environments to make the healthy and sustainable choice the easy choice, with a focus on increasing the accessibility and affordability of fresh fruit and vegetables and foods high in fibre and essential nutrients (this includes physical food environments, out of home eating, and online food environments)
• designing and delivering place-based interventions based on an improved understanding of specific dietary preferences and the important contextual factors and lived experiences driving dietary choices within low-income communities, including within the same family or social circle
• understanding which place-based intervention (or combination of interventions) would be most effective in improving the diets of different low-income groups (for example, age, sex, ethnicity)
• using available data (for example, from the food industry, local authorities and movements or working with data investments like Smart Data Research UK or the Consumer Data Research Centre) to identify key interventions and enable best practice to be shared across areas

Projects can be at regional or local level and focused on any deprived community being impacted by health inequalities (such as, urban, rural, or demographic groups). The intervention can be in any part of the food system but must be developed in the context of other parts of the system to avoid unintended consequences. For example, all interventions must be environmentally sustainable.

Projects funded under this opportunity must:

• take a food systems approach and design and deliver place-based, solution focused interventions to reduce dietary health inequalities in the UK food system
• provide clear pathways to impact at local or regional levels, working with key decision-makers, and provide an indication of how findings and best practice will be shared across different areas
• provide a clear indication of the outcomes you expect to see, and how you will evaluate and measure the success of the intervention
• be interdisciplinary with expertise from at least two disciplines. Examples of possible disciplines include, but are not limited to, the biological sciences, engineering and physical sciences, environmental sciences, economic and social sciences and the arts and humanities
• address both themes
• collaborate with at least one stakeholder organisation (government, business or the third sector)

A key aim of this opportunity is to work with a range of stakeholders including decision-makers, businesses, and civil society organisations, to design and deliver exemplar interventions at a local levels, regional levels or both that can be applied elsewhere to reduce dietary health inequalities. We particularly encourage place-based interventions that will transform the current food system and lead to longer term household food and nutrition security.

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

Objectives

The objectives of this funding opportunity are to support interdisciplinary research and innovation which will:

• improve the understanding of the causes of dietary health inequalities in the UK food system at local levels, regional levels or both
• deliver place-based, solution-focused interventions to reduce dietary health inequalities in the UK food system at local levels, regional levels, or both
• inform policy and practice by working with stakeholders (government, business or the third sector) to deliver interventions
• increase interdisciplinary research capability and capacity in reducing dietary health inequalities in UK food systems

Expected outputs

The expected outputs of this funding opportunity are:

• new knowledge on the causes of dietary health inequalities in the UK food system
• new place-based, solution-focused interventions to reduce dietary health inequalities in the UK food system at local levels, regional levels or both
• new interdisciplinary research teams taking a food systems approach to dietary health inequalities
• new collaboration and partnerships between the research base and stakeholders

Expected outcomes

The expected outcomes of this funding opportunity are:

• researchers and stakeholders take a systems approach to understanding and addressing the impacts of dietary health inequalities in the UK food system
• solution-based interventions are adopted by businesses and government at local levels, regional levels, or both and lead to a reduction in dietary health inequalities in the UK food system
• enhanced relationships between different actors across the food system, including local authorities, food manufacturers or retailers, policymakers and NGOs, enabling a connected evidence-based approach to policymaking and industry practice
• increased interdisciplinary research capability and capacity in reducing dietary health inequalities in the UK food system
• a clear understanding of the causes of dietary health inequalities in the UK food system
• a significant reduction in dietary health inequalities in the UK food system

Duration

The duration of each award is a maximum of three years.

Projects must start by 1 April 2025.

Funding available

The FEC of your project can be up to £1,875,000.

UKRI will fund 80% of the FEC (£1,500,000).

If sub-contracting to a third sector organisation, this can be applied for at 100% FEC.

What we will not fund

We will not fund projects that:

• do not take a place-based approach to addressing dietary health inequalities in the UK
• do not include at least two different disciplines in the project team and the work proposed
• do not take a systems approach incorporating aspects of both themes
• do not have a focus on the UK food system
• do not collaborate with at least one stakeholder organisation
• do not demonstrate an approach and commitment to championing diversity and inclusion by removing barriers to research activities and promoting an open and inclusive research community

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)

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.

Further guidance and information about TR&I, including where you can find additional support, can be found on UKRI’s website.

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 19 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, AHRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC and Innovate UK 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 at Awarded Research Grants.

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 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)
• specialist
• grant manager
• professional enabling staff
• 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

Vision

Word limit: 500

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, or generate 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

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

References may be included within this section.

In this section we also expect you to demonstrate the transformative potential of your proposal to improve dietary health inequalities in the food system. You should clearly demonstrate how you will take an interdisciplinary, food systems approach, focusing on place-based interventions and both of the opportunity’s themes, and working with at least one stakeholder organisation.

Approach

Word limit: 2,500

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
• uses a clearly written and transparent methodology (if applicable)
• summarises the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed (if applicable)
• 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 may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

References may be included within this section.

In this section we also expect you to:

• explain how you plan to generate new knowledge on dietary health inequalities in the UK food system
• explain how you will take a food systems approach and design and deliver place-based, solution focused interventions to reduce health inequalities in the UK food system
• describe the interdisciplinarity of your proposal and how you will increase interdisciplinary research capability and capacity in health inequalities in the UK food system
• describe your pathways to impact at local levels, regional levels, or both, and how you will work with stakeholders and key decision-makers to deliver impact
• explain how findings and best practice will be shared across different areas
• provide a clear indication of the outcomes you expect to see, and how you will evaluate and measure the success of the intervention
• explain how your proposal complements and builds upon previous UKRI investments in the field of dietary health inequalities (see the ‘Related opportunities’ box towards the top right of this page for examples)
• provide a clear and feasible plan and strategy to ensure Equality Diversity and Inclusion throughout the delivery of the project

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

In this section, we would also encourage applicants to clearly outline the:

• experience of the principal investigator and team in working with a range of stakeholders across disciplines and sectors.
• robustness and feasibility of the management plan for the project.

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 nd include a response for the whole team, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI. You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills each team member brings:

• contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge
• the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships
• contributions to the wider research and innovation community
• contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit

Additions

Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences, or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them).

Complete this as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.

References may be included within this section.

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.

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.

Genetic and biological risk

Word limit: 700

Does your proposed research involve any genetic or biological risk?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

In respect of animals, plants or microbes, are you proposing to:

• use genetic modification as an experimental tool, like studying gene function in a genetically modified organism
• release genetically modified organisms
• ultimately develop commercial and industrial genetically modified outcomes

If yes, provide the name of any required approving body and state if approval is already in place. If it is not, provide an indicative timeframe for obtaining the required approval.

Identify the organism or organisms as a plant, animal or microbe and specify the species and which of the three categories the research relates to.

Identify the genetic and biological risks resulting from the proposed research, their implications, and any mitigation you plan on taking. Assessors will want to know you have considered the risks and their implications to justify that any identified risks do not outweigh any benefits of the proposed research.

If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this 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.

Conducting research with animals overseas

Word limit: 700

Will any of the proposed animal research be conducted overseas?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you are proposing to conduct overseas research, it must be conducted in accordance with welfare standards consistent with those in the UK, as in Responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research, page 14. Ensure all named applicants in the UK and overseas are aware of this requirement.

If your application proposes animal research to be conducted overseas, you must provide a statement in the text box. Depending on the species involved, you may also need to upload a completed template for each species listed.

Statement

Provide a statement to confirm that:

• all named applicants are aware of the requirements and have agreed to abide by them
• this overseas research will be conducted in accordance with welfare standards consistent with the principles of UK legislation
• the expectation set out in Responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research will be applied and maintained
• appropriate national and institutional approvals are in place

Templates

Overseas studies proposing to use non-human primates, cats, dogs, equines or pigs will be assessed during NC3Rs review of research applications. Provide the required information by completing the template from the question ‘Research involving the use of animals’.

For studies involving other species, select, download, and complete the relevant Word checklist or checklists from this list:

• Additional questions on the use of rodents overseas (DOCX, 49.1KB)
• Additional questions on the use of rabbits overseas (DOCX, 49.2KB)
• Additional questions on the use of sheep overseas (DOCX, 50.9KB)
• Additional questions on the use of goats overseas (DOCX, 47.3KB)
• Additional questions on the use of pigs overseas (DOCX, 51.4KB)
• Additional questions on the use of cattle overseas (DOCX, 57.0KB)
• Additional questions on the use of Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis overseas (DOCX, 57.3KB)

Save your completed template as a PDF and upload to the Funding Service. If you use more than one checklist template, save it as a single PDF.

The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.

If conducting research with animals overseas does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Research involving human participation

Word limit: 700

Will the project involve the use of human subjects or their personal information?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you are proposing research that requires the involvement of human subjects, provide the name of any required approving body and whether approval is already in place.

Justify the number and the diversity of the participants involved, as well as any procedures.

Provide details of any areas of substantial or moderate severity of impact.

If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Research involving human tissues or biological samples

Word limit: 700

Does your proposed research involve the use of human tissues, or biological samples?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you are proposing work that involves human tissues or biological samples, provide the name of any required approving body and whether approval is already in place.

Justify the use of human tissue or biological samples specifying the nature and quantity of the material to be used and its source.

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: 1,000

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’

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

Your organisation’s support

Word limit: 500

Provide details of support from your research organisation.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide a Statement of Support from your research organisation detailing why the proposed work is needed. This should include details of any matched funding that will be provided to support the activity and any additional support that might add value to the work.

The committee will be looking for a strong statement of commitment from your research organisation.

BBSRC recognises that in some instances, this information may be provided by the Research Office, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) or equivalent, or a combination of both.

You must also include the following details:

• a significant person’s name and their position, from the TTO or Research Office, or both
• office address or web link

Upload details are provided within the Funding Service on the actual application.

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: letters (or emails) of support

Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the Project partners section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter ‘N/A’.  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
• the page limit is one side A4 per partner

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 Project partners’ section.

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

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: 500

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

Facilities should only be named if they are on the facility information list above. 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.

Panel review

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will invite experts (panel members) 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 UKRI Funding Service. Research councils will continue to select expert reviewers.

UKRI 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.

You will have 14 days to respond to panel members’ comments.

Panel

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

UKRI will make the final funding decision to enable a portfolio of relevant projects to be supported.

Timescale

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

Feedback

If your application was discussed by a panel, we will give feedback with the outcome of your application.

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.

UKRI reserves the right to modify the assessment process as needed.

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

• Vision
• Approach
• 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 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 food.systems@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.

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 food.systems@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.

Background

Through our five-year strategy Transforming Tomorrow Together 2022 to 2027, UKRI aims to harness the full power of the UK’s research and innovation system to tackle large-scale, complex challenges. To do this, we have identified five strategic themes to enable working across disciplines and leveraging new and existing investment and activity.

Creating opportunities and improving outcomes is one of the themes.

The mission of the theme is to improve outcomes for people and places across the UK by identifying solutions that promote economic and social prosperity.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) research, infrastructure and knowledge mobilisation work has already made huge strides in identifying and defining the challenges associated with disparities and in building the capability needed to improve economic and social opportunities.

Creating opportunities and improving outcomes will build upon these foundations to investigate disparities and develop the conditions and solutions to help people and communities to thrive, filling what we know to be gaps in existing activity.

It will work at scale across disciplines and incentivise connections across:

• the research and innovation system
• government
• industry
• civil society

Sub-themes

Economic growth and innovation​

Addressing long standing regional economic disparities and delivering solutions that focus on sustainable, inclusive growth and innovation.

Health inequalities​

Understanding the causes and effects of disparities in population health across the UK, and identifying sustainable and cost-effective solutions to these.

Community connectedness

Strengthening civic engagements, relationships, trust, and local pride to reduce the social and economic marginalisation of groups and areas​.

In addition to the three sub-themes, the funding for this theme will support new cross-cutting activity. The activity is focused on coordinating, connecting, convening, and generating robust evidence on cost-effective solutions to reducing spatial disparities and promoting prosperity.

Our approach will take account of multiple layers of potential intervention, from the macro to local levels. With growing investment, more comprehensive and integrated data, and new data analytics, UKRI can enable research that drives better outcomes for people and communities across the UK.

Impacts in the longer term could include:

• inclusive and sustainable local economic growth
• reducing disparities in population health across the UK
• enhanced community resilience to environmental, economic, political, and social shocks and stresses
• enhanced sense of community, attachment to place, and sense of belonging
• widespread adoption of more inclusive technologies that are accessible, safer and trustworthy

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.

Global Talent visa

Core team members may be eligible for a Global Talent visa under the ‘exceptional promise’ category for future research leaders.

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.