BBSRC standard research grant

BBSRC standard research grant is sponsored by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) - UKRI. The BBSRC standard research grant supports curiosity-driven bioscience research across the BBSRC's portfolio.

Check if you’re eligible for funding – BBSRC – UKRI Check if you’re eligible for funding - BBSRC To apply for Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) funding, you must meet BBSRC’s standard eligibility criteria. You should also check the funding opportunity for any opportunity-specific eligibility requirements. Find out more about roles in funding applications .

If you have any queries about your eligibility, you should contact your organisation’s research office for support, who may then get in touch with us if they need advice. Organisational eligibility To apply, you must be based at an eligible organisation. Check if your organisation is eligible .

In determining whether an application will be accepted, BBSRC will consider a range of factors in relation to the applicants, such as their status and the duration and nature of their employment. The decision on eligibility resides with BBSRC and is final.

Project leads and project co-leads Project leads and project co-leads must: be a UK resident for the duration of the project have eligible employment status The following outlines details for each of the eligibility criteria.

When submitting an application, you must be one of the following: a UK resident, spending 183 or more days in the tax year in the UK be moving to the UK to take up an already agreed contract at an eligible organisation, the contract must not be dependent on the outcome of the application You must remain resident in the UK for the duration of the proposed project.

At the time of application, you must have either: a contract of employment at lecturer level or equivalent that extends beyond the duration of the proposed grant (or, if not employed by the submitting organisation, a formal non-salaried arrangement as described above that extends beyond the duration of the proposed grant) an assurance from the submitting organisation that, if the application is successful, a pre-existing contract of employment (or pre-existing formal commitment to provide support if not employed at the organisation) at lecturer level or equivalent will be extended beyond the end date of the grant You are eligible to apply as a project lead if you are employed by the eligible research organisation submitting the application.

You are eligible to apply as a project lead if you are not employed by the submitting organisation but have an existing written formal arrangement with them.

The agreement must confirm that: the research will be conducted as if you were an employee at lecturer level or equivalent but without salary costs the organisation will enable you to carry out research there and receive all the necessary management and infrastructural support the organisation commits to take full responsibility for the research and its proper governance You can apply if you have an academic or technical staff appointment at least lecturer level or equivalent.

For research council institutes, lecturer equivalent will be researchers who are research council Band E. For the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) this will be researchers at the NERC Band 5 level. Medical Research Council external scientific staff located within university departments holding honorary university appointments may also apply if the appointment will outlast the period of a proposed grant.

Research Technical Professionals As the first funder to sign the Technician Commitment, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) recognises the value of technical expertise to the UK research workforce. To reflect this, BBSRC welcomes applications from eligible technical staff as either project lead or project co-lead.

You can apply if you are a research technical professional and carry both a level of responsibility and range of duties appropriate to a person with substantial research experience, equivalent to an academic at lecturer level or above.

Postdoctoral fellows may be able to apply if they are equivalent level to lecturer and their fellowship was awarded by one of the following: award-giving bodies such as the Royal Society and the Wellcome Trust internal university fellowship awards All fellowships must have been secured in open competition. Except internally awarded university fellowships, all fellowships must be tenable at any BBSRC eligible academic institution.

Information on the type and nature of the fellowship held, together with its end date and the funding it provides, must be included within the ‘Approach’ or ‘Applicant and team capability to deliver’ sections of the application.

BBSRC may request written notification from the fellowship provider permitting the fellow to undertake the additional research and other activities required in association with any research grant application submitted. Holders of UKRI Academic Fellowships are eligible to apply.

However, they must ensure that any commitments they have to existing research projects are discussed with their organisation prior to the completion and submission of a research grant application. Recipients of UKRI Academic Fellowships who are initially supported as postdoctoral research assistants (PDRA) on research grants are eligible to apply for new research grants in their own right.

However, they cannot start any successful award until they have completed their PDRA duties on the original research grant. Authorisation for an application can be provided by a relevant head of department or the director of a research council institute.

By authorising the application, they are agreeing to: provide full research facilities and support throughout the period of the research underwrite the fellow’s salary costs if their fellowship does not extend beyond the duration of the grant A letter of support confirming this may be requested by BBSRC. Details of the post the fellow will be appointed should be given in the approach or applicant and team capability to deliver.

Authorisation of the application also confirms that there is no conflict of interest between the applicant’s obligations to BBSRC and to any other organisation or employer. Senior research personnel Other senior university research personnel with appointments resourced from the central funds of their institutions at the time of application may also apply.

They must have both a level of responsibility and range of duties appropriate to a person with substantial research experiences, for example they occupy a post equating to at least lecturer level.

BBSRC may request a statement from the head of department and written assurance from the applicant’s institution that if the applicant does not have a contract of employment extending beyond the period of the proposed grant at the time of application, a contract will be put in place if the application is successful.

Research and innovation associates and technicians who are not eligible to be a project lead or project co-lead can be named as a researcher co-lead if they: have made a substantial contribution to the formulation and development of the application will be closely involved with the project This status can be used as evidence of their involvement in acquiring research funding.

A researcher co-lead will be: named on the application as the researcher co-lead and at postdoctoral research assistant level or equivalent identified in the application as a key intellectual contributor to the project employed on the project by, and based at, the institutions of either the project lead or any project co-leads Researcher co-lead employment contracts The institution is responsible for all matters in relation to an employee’s contract of employment including the procurement of work permits where necessary.

See RGC 8 of the terms and conditions for research grants , which are the terms held between the awarding research council and the institution in receipt of the grant. BBSRC has no restrictions or requirements on residency, nationality or citizenship in relation to research support staff funded from a grant.

Ask a question about your eligibility If you have a query about your eligibility, you should first contact your organisation’s grants office for clarification before you apply to us for funding. If your grants office cannot advise you, email us and cc your grants office. Email: eligibility@bbsrc.

ukri. org Last updated: 7 July 2026 This is the website for UKRI: our seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Let us know if you have feedback or would like to help improve our online products and services .