BBSRC new investigator award: applicant-led mode

BBSRC new investigator award: applicant-led mode is sponsored by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) / UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). This scheme is designed primarily to assist newly employed university lecturers, researchers (at a level equivalent to lecturer) in research council institutes, and fellows (at a level equivalent to lecturer) to secure their first major element of research support funding.

BBSRC new investigator award: 2026 round one: applicant-led mode – UKRI Funding opportunity: BBSRC new investigator award: 2026 round one: applicant-led mode Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 25 September 2025 9:00am UK time 14 January 2026 4:00pm UK time Last updated: 28 October 2025 - see all updates Apply for funding to support excellent new investigator-led research across the breadth of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) scientific remit.

You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for BBSRC funding. This scheme is designed primarily to assist newly employed university lecturers, researchers (at a level equivalent to lecturer) in research council institutes, and fellows (at a level equivalent to lecturer) to secure their first major element of research support funding. The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £2 million.

Funding is available for up to five years. BBSRC will fund 80% of the FEC. To lead a project, you must be based at an eligible organisation.

Check if your organisation is eligible . Check if you are eligible for BBSRC funding . Individuals based at an international research organisation are not eligible to be a member of the core team as they are not eligible for UKRI funding .

International collaborators can be added as project partners on an application, please see Roles in funding applications: eligibility, responsibilities and costings guidance for more information. Researchers who have been project co-leads (previously co-investigators) on successful grant applications are eligible to apply for a new investigator award.

You must not have received, or currently be in receipt of, competitively obtained research or support funding from any source as a project lead (previously principal investigator) where such funding includes or included research and innovation associate (previously postdoctoral research assistant) staff support costs. This includes grants associated with fellowships.

If, however, research and innovation associate support has been provided by an institution as part of an internal support agreement or as part of the applicants start up package, this must be declared but would not render the applicant ineligible.

Other grant funding requests where the results are not known at the time of submission, but which are subsequently successful, will also come under this category and therefore details of such requests must be given in the application and their outcome notified to BBSRC immediately they become known.

You may submit only one new investigator application to each BBSRC grant round, and you may not submit another type of grant application as a project lead to the same grant round. Researchers may be awarded only one research grant under the new investigator scheme. The project lead should be the intellectual leader of the proposed project.

Expertise across multiple disciplines may be an important aspect of a project and one which facilitates career development into a new field. Therefore, project co-leads are permitted, but only when they bring expertise to the project which is outside the project lead’s own skill set. Project co-leads may also satisfy the eligibility requirements for the new investigator scheme.

See the full new investigator eligibility requirements . We will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects that have been submitted to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) or any other funder. Find out more about BBSRC’s resubmissions policy .

Equality, diversity and inclusion We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers. We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances.

This includes: support for people with caring responsibilities alternative working patterns UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process. This scheme supports excellent investigator-led research across the breadth of BBSRC scientific remit .

You are encouraged to consider the relevance of your proposed work in line with the long-term research and innovation priorities set out in BBSRC’s strategic delivery plan 2022 to 2025 . A small number of responsive mode Spotlight areas may be in operation at any one time, in line with the more targeted nature of the new mechanism.

The aim of the Spotlight mechanism is to provide simpler, more agile, and dynamic targeting of particular areas of timely strategic interest, opportunity or need. If Spotlight areas are applicable to this round, they will be advertised from the outset.

Funding is available for: research projects, including data intensive and technology development projects equipment or use of existing facilities community resources, new facilities, or infrastructure research networks and coordination You can apply to undertake biotechnology or biological research in: tools and technology underpinning biological research Investigations within and across scales are supported, from molecules and cells, to tissues, whole organisms, populations and landscapes.

We welcome multidisciplinary proposals that cross into other research council areas but expect the primary focus of your work to fall within BBSRC’s remit. We work with other research councils to ensure that applications close to remit boundaries are assessed by the most appropriate lead council. Please contact remit@bbsrc.

ukri. org with any queries about the suitability of your application before applying. We have a strong commitment to funding curiosity-led research and advancing excellent bioscience across our portfolio.

The duration of this award is up to five years. The FEC of your project can be up to a maximum of £2 million. BBSRC will fund 80% of the FEC.

For example, if the FEC cost of your project is equal to £2 million, BBSRC will fund £1. 6 million and your research organisation will be expected to fund £400,000. 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. See further guidance and information about TR&I , including where you can find additional support.

We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system. The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.

Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI. Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page. Confirm you are the project lead.

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.

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. Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office. Send the completed application to your research office for checking.

They will return it to you if it needs editing. 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.

When including images, you must: provide a descriptive caption or legend for each image immediately underneath it in the text box (this must be outside the image and counts towards your word limit) insert each new image on a new line use files smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format Images should only be used to convey important visual information that cannot easily be put into words.

The following are not permitted, and your application may be rejected if you include: sentences or paragraphs of text excessive quantities of images A few words are permitted where the image would lack clarity without the contextual words, such as a diagram, where text labels are required for an axis or graph column.

Your application will be rejected if images are provided without a descriptive legend in the text box or are used to replace text that could be input into the text box. 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 should be included within the word count of the appropriate question section.

You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application. Hyperlinks can be used in reference information.

When including references, you should consider how your references will be viewed and used by the assessors, ensuring that: references are easily identifiable by the assessors references are formatted as appropriate to your research persistent identifiers are used where possible General use of hyperlinks Applications should be self-contained. You should only use hyperlinks to link directly to reference information.

You must not include links to web resources to extend your application. Assessors are not required to access links to conduct assessment or recommend a funding decision. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.

For more information see our policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment . BBSRC must receive your application by 14 January 2026 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.

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 .

BBSRC, as part of UKRI, will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) or international funders so that they can participate in the assessment process. For more information on how Defra uses personal information, visit Defra’s website . If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email peer.

review@bbsrc. ukri. org Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].

Typical examples of confidential information include: individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave) 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 .

Institutional Matched Funding There is no requirement for matched funding from the institutions hosting the project lead, project co-leads or other staff employed on the application, beyond the standard 20% FEC. Expert reviewers and panels assessing UKRI funding applications must not consider levels of institutional matched funding as a factor on which to base recommendations.

Direct and in-kind contributions from third party project partners are encouraged. BBSRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity on the UKRI Gateway to Research . If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research .

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: the wider research community Guidance for writing a summary Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of: the challenge the project addresses potential applications and benefits its relevance to the BBSRC long-term research and innovation priorities and, if applicable, responsive mode Spotlight areas List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following: project co-lead (UK) (PcL) professional enabling staff research and innovation associate Only list one individual as project lead.

UKRI has introduced a new addition to the ‘Specialist’ role type. Public contributors such as people with lived experience can now be added to an application. Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications .

Indicate the scheme through which you are applying. In the text box, copy the number corresponding to the scheme you are applying through. These are: new investigator (no additional scheme) new investigator and Industrial Partnership Award (IPA) new investigator and LINK This is for administrative purposes to help the initial application processing.

Please follow the scheme specific guidance below. Upload as a single PDF ensuring it is no larger than 8MB. a letter from your institution’s technology transfer office outlining the management of outputs from the proposed research BBSRC remit classification Your application will be considered by one of our four research committees made up of independent experts.

Indicate which you feel would be best placed to assess your application. In the text box, write only the letter (in uppercase) corresponding to the committee you feel would be best placed to assess your application.

These are: animal disease, health and welfare plants, microbes, food and sustainability genes, development, and science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) approaches to biology molecules, cells and industrial biotechnology This is for administrative purposes to help the initial application processing. We will check your choice and make a final decision as to which committee will assess your application.

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 References may be included within this section.

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service. How are you going to deliver your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response We expect you to show how your approach: 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 Within the ‘Approach’ section we also expect you to provide a detailed and comprehensive project plan including milestones and timelines in the form of an embedded Gantt chart or similar (please make sure to check sizing and readability of the image using ‘read view’ prior to submission).

BBSRC’s action plan for EDI outlines our commitment to removing barriers to participation in our programmes, ensuring investments do not inadvertently prevent access or usage by individuals from minority groups, for example disabled researchers. To this end, applications should identify how accessibility and inclusiveness in the widest sense have been incorporated into the design of the project.

For example, you may wish to reference relevant institutional strategies and policies which support equality, diversity, and inclusion as they relate to access to equipment and facilities and indicate how the proposed project has been designed and will be delivered with broad access in mind. References may be included within this section. You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.

Further details are provided in the Funding Service. Applicant and team capability to deliver 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) the right balance of skills and expertise the appropriate leadership and management skills and your approach to develop others contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.

Further details are provided in the Funding Service. The word limit 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 lead 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 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. Please note, you may want to evidence your approach to develop others by referring to appropriate training and career development opportunities.

The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles. You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

Research organisation support What support will be provided by the research organisation for your new investigator award?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Considering your career trajectory and how the support offered forms a cohesive career development package for you, provide a clear statement of commitment and support from the research organisation to you and the project, covering: how your expertise fits within the wider interest and strategies of the research organisation and department development and training opportunities to be provided and how they form a cohesive career development package tailored to you mentoring and support arrangements proposed and how they are appropriate to you, include the name of any current or future mentors any additional support to be provided, for example contribution to salary, and how this improves the application Please note, additional financial support from the host organisation beyond any 20% FEC contribution is not a requirement for the New Investigator Scheme, applications will not be penalised during assessment for lacking additional financial support packages or similar.

Applicant fit to the funding opportunity How do you consider yourself eligible for this funding opportunity? What the assessors are looking for in your response Give a clear description of why you are eligible for funding through this funding opportunity and according to the specific expectations of the council to which you are applying.

In your response you should consider, where relevant: you are eligible if you have already been a project co-lead on a successful grant application you must not have received, or currently be in receipt of, competitively obtained research or support funding from any source as a project lead where such funding includes or included research and innovation associate staff support costs.

This includes grants associated with fellowships you must notify BBSRC of grant funding requests where the results are not known at the time of submission, but which are subsequently successful you may submit only one new investigator application to each BBSRC grant round, and you may not submit another type of grant application as a project lead to the same grant round.

Researchers may be awarded only one research grant under the New Investigator Scheme How will this award contribute to your career development as a project lead?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Explain why you are applying for this new investigator award and demonstrate how it will support you in achieving your: long-term career goals and chosen career route plans to develop your own research profile independence, as the sole intellectual leader of the proposed work plans to secure further grant support during or after this award plans to establish and lead a research team 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 contributions for example cash, donated equipment and resources, or staff seconded to the project, or indirect and in-kind contributions for example use of project partner’s equipment, datasets, or facilities.

Project partners may be in industry, academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU.

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

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made. Project partners: statement of support Only complete a statement of support if you have named project partners in the ‘Project partners’ section. A statement is required to be provided from each partner you named in the ‘Project partners’ section.

These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only. If you are applying via the IPA or LINK scheme, please include details of industry partner support here. Please note, individuals listed in the core team, or collaborators from core team member research organisations are ineligible to be project partners.

Do not provide a statement of support from host and project co-leads’ research organisations. Do not provide a statement of support from collaborators. Contributions from collaborators not listed as project partners can be outlined in ‘Applicant and team capability to deliver’.

What the assessors are looking for in your response Each statement 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 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. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) Does your proposed work relate to UKRI’s Trusted Research and Innovation principles?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Demonstrate how your proposed work relates to UKRI’s Trusted Research and Innovation principles including: list any dual-use (both military and non-military) applications to your research if this project is relevant to one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act , please list the area(s) please read the academic export control guidance and confirm if an export control licence is required for this project and the status of any application(s) if your project involves any items or substances on the UK strategic export control list, please provide a list We may ask you to provide additional TR&I information later, in line with UKRI TR&I principles and funding terms and conditions (RGC 2.

6. 2, 2. 7.

1 and 2. 7. 2).

If this Trusted Research & Innovation question is not applicable to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service by stating ‘N/A’. International collaboration Does the proposed work involve any international collaboration or engagement?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Provide details about your expected international collaboration or engagement, including: a list of the countries your international project partners, or other collaborators are based in details of any subcontractors or service providers If your proposed work does not involve international collaboration or engagement, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service by stating ‘N/A’.

Resources and cost justification 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 substantial resources in particular: significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences) any equipment that will cost more than £25,000 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’ You can request costs associated with reasonable adjustments where they increase as a direct result of working on the project.

For further information see Disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders . 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 Data management and sharing 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. 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, 42KB) 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. Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI) 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 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