Scope

Frontier bioscience

Projects must be grounded in frontier bioscience: discovery research that pushes the limits of human knowledge, and which has the potential to lead to major breakthroughs in our fundamental understanding of living systems.

Projects are expected to generate new fundamental biological knowledge of broad and long-term significance, changing how we think about bioscience within and likely transcending their immediate fields, thereby contributing to our understanding of important ‘rules of life’. They should have the potential to make transformational, not incremental, contributions to our understanding of the principles which govern biological processes.

Projects must be primarily within BBSRC remit and can investigate ideas within or across any scale of biological organisation from molecules to organisms and populations. We particularly encourage applications which take multimodal and multiscale approaches, integrating data-driven and experimental approaches from different bioscience disciplines.

Projects will typically use cutting-edge technologies, methods and approaches to explore the frontiers of the bioscience area under investigation. We encourage applications that incorporate development of state-of-the-art technology that will unlock new opportunities to revolutionise the discovery of novel biological knowledge.

Applications grounded in frontier bioscience but which are also potentially relevant to one or more of BBSRC’s world-class impact themes within our strategic delivery plan are also suitable to the opportunity. However, applications that are not principally designed to deliver new fundamental bioscience knowledge, are unsuitable and likely to be excluded at stage 1.

Examples of unsuitable applications include those where the primary aim is to apply knowledge to tackle contemporary socio-economic challenges related to end-user driven objectives from within industry or sustainable development goals.

Longer and larger scale

Through an original and fully integrated research project, your idea must have the potential to lead to a major new contribution to biological knowledge, commensurate with the longer and larger scale of support provided.

Your application must provide a clear justification for the necessity of the longer and larger scale of funding through the sLoLa scheme, to the extent that the work could not be undertaken through several separate smaller awards, either in parallel or in series.

Your application must include a clear strategy for the integration of data and results generated such that the overall outcomes of the project are substantively different than the outcomes of individual work packages.

Your application must demonstrate overall coherence, connectivity, coordination and integration of the work to be carried out. This includes how the team will deliver substantively different and synergistic outcomes than could be achieved through the efforts of individual members or their research groups working in isolation.

Applications that lack a clear case for the need of longer and larger scale funding will be at a competitive disadvantage and may be excluded at the registration or outline stages.

Team science

Your application is expected to assemble a distinctive team of researchers drawn from the full breadth of expertise available across the UK with the collective capability of delivering the proposed work. Typically, this will span several research organisations or departments, or both.

Consideration of equality, diversity and inclusion is important for all applications to BBSRC for funding, and we expect particular care to be taken for larger projects involving multiple co-applicants such as those supported through the sLoLa scheme. You are expected to consider these issues from the earliest stage of building your teams through to the delivery of awarded projects.

Teams must collectively demonstrate that they have the appropriate depth and breadth of scientific, leadership, technical and management expertise to deliver the scale and complexity of the work proposed. This includes the ability to maintain the focus and momentum of longer and larger projects, as well as the skills to ensure the successful functioning of the wider team who may be distributed across multiple sites.

There is no requirement for project leads nor project co-leads to have held a similar sized award before. However, it should be clear how any individual holding significant scientific, leadership or management responsibilities will be mentored or otherwise supported by the wider team or institutional environment.

This is particularly important where an individual is stepping into a position with a greater degree of leadership or management responsibility than they have previously held. Dedicated project management support can also be incorporated into applications.

Your application should ensure the full complement of skills and expertise needed to achieve the expected outcomes are included and that the unique roles and responsibilities of each team member are clearly outlined and justified.

Most sLoLa projects are expected to generate significant amounts of data, and therefore the key themes outlined in BBSRC’s recent review of data intensive biosciences (PDF, 4.2MB) should be carefully considered when assembling a research team.

Teams are encouraged to include researchers from the full depth and breadth of the UK’s diverse research and innovation talent pool, including different career pathways and stages. You should follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment.

Strategic position

The proposed work should establish or significantly enhance an exceptional and unique bioscience research capability in the UK. Projects should lead to significant and distinctive improvements to health and vitality of UK bioscience in the area under investigation, raising its international profile to the point of being recognised as world-leading.

Your application should include consideration of how the proposed research fits with and complements other active UK and international research in the area, or areas, under investigation.

To facilitate the positioning of your application against the wider landscape of research investments, see the list of currently active BBSRC grants over £2 million. This is not an exhaustive account and you should consult other resources to build and demonstrate your own knowledge of the wider landscape.

BBSRC takes a strategic approach to investments, considering the overall balance of our portfolio in bioscience research. Applications in areas in which there is already substantial BBSRC or other UK Research and Innovation research council investment will be at a competitive disadvantage if significantly overlapping these investments and may be excluded at the registration or outline stages. Particular attention should be paid to existing sLoLa-scale awards or research in areas covered by BBSRC institute strategic programme grants.

Remit

Work principally outside of BBSRC remit will be excluded. We encourage multidisciplinary applications, but we strongly advise potential applicants to contact us at bbsrc.lolagrants@bbsrc.ukri.org before submission if you suspect substantial aspects of the application may be outside of BBSRC remit.

Duration

The duration of this award is up to five years.

It is anticipated that awarded grants will start in the latter half of the 2025 to 2026 financial year.

Funding available

The full economic cost of your project must be at least £2 million.

BBSRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost.

The indicative budget for this funding opportunity is up to £20 million, subject to the quality of applications received. We anticipate awarding between three and five grants in this funding round.

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.

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

This is the stage 2 (full stage) of the assessment process for strategic Longer and Larger (sLoLa) grants.

Applicants to stage 2 must have been invited from stage 1 of the funding opportunity process.

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. 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. 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. Applicants should use their 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 6 February 2025 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 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 may 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)
• researcher co-lead (RcL)
• specialist
• grant manager
• professional enabling staff
• research and innovation associate
• technician

Only list one individual as project lead.

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

Application questions

Vision

Word limit: 2,000

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 fields or areas
• 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
• is of sufficient novelty and ambition to warrant consideration for funding
• impacts world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment

As part of this section, we expect you to:

• introduce the topic of research and explain its academic and wider context
• demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of past and current work in the
  subject area both in the UK and internationally
• provide a summary of the results and conclusions of your recent work in the research areas relevant to the proposal
• identify the overall aims of the proposed sLoLa research programme, set in the context the call’s frontier bioscience scope, current knowledge, and the leading edge within the research domains

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

Approach

Word limit: 6,000

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

As part of this section, we expect you to:

• provide the individual measurable objectives for the planned sLoLa and explain how these will be tackled. This should include a detailed description and justification for the methods and approaches to be employed
• describe the programme of work, indicating the research (experimental and data analysis) to be undertaken and the milestones that can be used to measure its progress. The detail should be sufficient to indicate the programme of work for each member of the research team
• highlight features which are particularly original or unique. sLoLa proposals are expected to be ambitious and potentially transformative, resulting in a step change in knowledge that will have a major impact on the research area
• identify any potential risks within the research programme and strategies to mitigate these risks (for example, alternative approaches)
• identify any equipment or resources you will need to access

A project Gantt chart is compulsory and should be inserted as an image at the very end of this section. The Gantt chart should identify appropriate deliverables, responsibilities and time points for each objective.

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

Strategic case

Word limit: 1,000 words

What is the strategic case for your sLoLa project?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

We expect you to:

• justify the need for sLoLa funding, describing the added value of funding through this mechanism and how the proposed work will demonstrate UK leadership in the field
• outline a clear strategy for how the research team’s outputs (experiments, data and results) will be fully integrated to deliver ‘greater than sum of parts’ outcomes
• describe the synergistic benefit of the team science approach to deliver project outcomes which could not be achieved through a series of smaller, shorter grants (for example, Responsive Mode awards) with individual groups working in isolation
• explain the significance and importance of the proposed research, including how the sLoLa award will enhance the international position of UK bioscience in the research area
• explain how the proposed research complements and does not overlap with other research funded in this area nationally and internationally, including BBSRC’s research portfolio. For information on BBSRC’s portfolio, please see Gateway to Research and downloads on the BBSRC portfolio of grants over £2 million (PDF, 316KB)
• describe how the research programme will have an impact on the broader health and vitality of UK bioscience. Where applicable, this might include:
  • plans for ensuring the longer-term legacy of data
  • software
  • technologies
  • other community resources
  • skills and national capability developed during the project
  • identifying potential routes towards economic or societal impacts where these may already be evident

Applicant and team capability to deliver

Word limit: 3,000

Why are you the right individual or team to successfully deliver the proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Demonstrate 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 word count for this section is 3,000 words: 2,500 words to be used for R4RI modules and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.

Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you and, if relevant, your team (project and project co-leads, researchers, technicians, specialists, partners and so on) have and how this will help deliver the proposed work. You can include individuals’ specific achievements but only choose past contributions that best evidence their ability to deliver this work.

Complete this section using the R4RI module headings listed. Use each heading once and include a response for the whole team, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI. You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills each team member brings:

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

We expect applications to:

1. Describe the specific contribution of each applicant to the proposed sLoLa
   • their scientific contributions, for example, research field and specialist knowledge, experience, technical and data analysis expertise
   • their role and responsibilities, for example, managerial, leadership, mentoring
   • references to specific work packages are recommended
   • highlight where applicants will work collaboratively to deliver specific project requirements
   • include clear time commitments for each applicant
2. Describe how each applicant has contributed to the generation of new ideas, knowledge, tools, or methodologies
   • examples might include: contributions to (and skills acquired from) past research projects; key outputs such as publications, datasets, software and intellectual property
   • the most relevant examples are likely to relate to previous work related to the proposed sLoLa project
3. Describe how team members have contributed to the effective working of research teams
   • examples might include: contributions to (and skills acquired from) past project management, supervision, mentoring or line management activities which were critical to the success of a team; strategic leadership which shaped the direction of a team or organisation; personal development activities; management of complex multi-investigator or multi-site projects
   • examples provided should evidence the team’s collective capability to lead and manage the proposed sLoLa project
4. Describe how teams will support the development of staff employed by this proposal such as early career researchers and technicians
   • examples might include: training, development of leadership or management, scientific writing skills
5. Describe how team members have contributed to the wider research and innovation community
   • examples might include: contributions to wider collaborations and networks; establishment of community resources; contributions to the improvement of research culture including equality, diversity and inclusion practices; commitments such as editing, reviewing and committees
6. Describe how team members have contributed to broader society
   • examples might include: engagement across the public and/or private sector or with the wider public; past research which has influenced policy development

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).

In this section you can reference anticipated contributions of any collaborators, project partners or sub-contractors.

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

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

For full details, see Eligibility as an individual.

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

Management strategy

Word limit: 700 words

How do you plan to manage the sLoLa?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

We expect you to:

• describe how the project will be managed to ensure effective working of the team, effective utilisation of resources, and successful delivery of the planned outcomes. The management approach should be appropriate to the nature and scale of the programme
• describe how the project will have governance arrangements appropriate for the oversight and successful delivery of the project’s complexity
• provide details about the project’s management and advisory structure
• provide details of the approach to project and risk management, and the monitoring strategy for tracking progress of the proposed programme
• provide information on the proposed membership of the scientific advisory board and how it will be used. A scientific advisory board is required for all projects, which is independent from both the academic institutions and project partners involved in the proposal

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

Scientific advisory board (SAB) members

Word limit: 50

Please provide the name and institution of the proposed SAB members for your project. This information will be used to prevent conflicts in the assessment of your application.

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

Applications proposing to use animals must abide by the guidance on Animal Use detailed in the BBSRC grants guide.

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.

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 ensuring it is no larger than 8MB For the file name, use the unique Funding Service number the system gives you when you create an application, followed by the words ‘Conducting research with animals overseas’.

If this 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: 3,000

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, will be funded at 50% FEC but the 100% FEC cost should be inputted into the Funding Service under ‘directly incurred – equipment’. Where possible, you must obtain three quotes for the equipment (from multiple suppliers where possible) and use these as the basis for your costings. We may ask successful applicants for quotes prior to award. A separate business case is not required
• any consumables beyond typical requirements, or that are required in exceptional quantities
• all facilities and infrastructure costs

Please be aware that BBSRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost (FEC).

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: 10

Provide details of support from all the applicant research organisations.

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(s).

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

Letters of support should be combined into a single PDF ensuring it is no larger than 8MB and uploaded to this section. For the file name, use the unique Funding Service number the system gives you when you create an application, followed by the words ‘Your organisation’s support.

Letters of support from the community are not required and should not form part of your 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 2 sides 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: 1,000

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: 600

Does your proposed research require the support and use of one or more of the facilities listed in the linked document?

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

For more information, please see BBSRC guidance for applicants.

If you will not need to use a facility, please write N/A.

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

Stage 2 (full application) will only be open to successful applicants who have been invited to submit following the assessment of their outline application in stage 1.
We will assess your application using the following process.

External 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.

Committee

The quality of your application will be assessed by a multidisciplinary panel comprised of outline stage Strategic LoLa committee (SLC) members and further subject matter experts, including representatives from BBSRC’s Responsive Mode research committees and BBSRC’s Pool of Experts.

Following assessment, the committee will rank your application alongside other applications. The committee provide feedback and recommendations to BBSRC for applications to invite for an interview.

Interview

The project leads and up to 2 project co-leads from the most highly rated applications recommended by the panel will be invited to interview by members of the SLC who will make a final funding recommendation to BBSRC.

We expect interviews to be held in early July 2025.

BBSRC will make the final funding decision.

Feedback

BBSRC will provide feedback for all applications following the communication of the outcomes of the applications.

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.

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

• Vision
• Approach
• Strategic case
• Applicant and team capability to deliver
• Management strategy
• 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 bbsrc.lolagrants@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 out more about submitting an application.

Sensitive information

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

Frontier bioscience: understanding the rules of life

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.

Webinar for potential applicants

We will hold a webinar in November 2024. This will provide more information about the full stage and a chance to ask questions.

If you are invited to the full stage you will receive a link to register for the webinar.

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.

Supporting documents

2024-25 strategic Longer and Larger (sLoLa) grants: stage 1: Outline guidance (PDF, 334KB)

BBSRC portfolio of grants over £2 million (PDF, 316KB)