Engineer next generation veterinary vaccine technology platforms (Grant)

To lead a project, you must be based at an eligible organisation. Check if your organisation is eligible.

Who is eligible to apply

This funding opportunity invites applicants from UK-based organisations that meet Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)’s standard eligibility conditions, including:

• higher education institutions

• independent research organisations

• approved public sector research establishments

• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)-funded labs and facilities

For applicants who do not have a contract of employment for the duration of the proposed project, by submitting an application the research organisation is confirming, if it is successful:

• contracts will be extended beyond the end date of the project

• all necessary support for the project and the applicants will be provided, including mentorship and career development for early career researchers

Check if you and your organisation are eligible for research and innovation funding.

The project team

This funding opportunity aims to embed a One Health approach in vaccine research. We expect the project lead and co-leads of all project teams to reflect this. The intellectual leadership of the project team can be shared with project co-leads.

Individuals can only be project lead or co-lead on one proposal. Only project co-leads who are providing a substantial commitment to the project should be included on the application.

We encourage applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, either as project lead or co-lead.

The project lead:

• should be the individual who will act as our main contact and coordinator of the research project. The project lead’s research organisation will be responsible for all administration relating to the award

• must have a record of delivering research

Each project should include:

• co-leads that represent a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional and multi-sectorial team. It is strongly encouraged that these investigators span a range of distinct disciplines which can include those not traditionally involved in veterinary sciences to facilitate novel thinking

• experts representing different sectors and organisations have equal status on the project to guarantee principles of a One Health approach are embedded in the project

• true integration of intellectual content from different disciplines and avoid disciplines that appear ‘bolted on’

• a diverse spread of project leads and co-leads. Projects with all co-leads from a single institution will be rejected

• individuals as co-leads who are providing a substantial commitment to the project

• at least one co-lead who must be an early career researcher who has a proven track record of research in their own discipline

Early career researchers

For the purposes of this funding opportunity, an academic early career researcher is an individual who has yet to achieve independence or is transitioning to independence as a current recipient of a newly independent award such as a UKRI new investigator grant or fellowship.

There are no eligibility rules based on years of postdoctoral experience. Early career researchers:

• can hold a lecturer appointment, a junior fellowship, or be in another research staff position, for example, postdoctoral researcher (PDRAs)

• must not have received, or currently be in receipt of, competitively obtained research funding as a project lead (other than current recipients of fellowships and new investigator grants) where such funding includes or included salary costs for research and innovation associates (previously PDRAs) or research technicians

Early career researchers can also be fellowship award holders, but they will:

• need to check the terms and conditions of their fellowship award relating to involvement in other projects

• seek permission from the funder of the fellowship, if applicable

• indicate research organisation support in the application

• not be eligible for salary costs whilst the fellowship is still active

If you are unsure of your eligibility as an early career researcher, email us at

vaccinology@bbsrc.ukri.org

Project partners

Project partners are expected to provide contributions to the delivery of the project, either in cash or in kind, and should not therefore be seeking to claim funds from UKRI.

However, where there are specific circumstances where project partners require funding for minor directly incurred costs, such as travel and subsistence, this will usually be paid at 80% FEC unless otherwise stated by us. These costs will be subject to peer review.

Examples of ways a project partner can support your research project are:

• staff time

• access to equipment

• sites or facilities

• the provision of data

• software or materials

• recruitment of people as research participants

• providing samples for the project

Project partners could include:

• members of the business community

• policymakers and others in the public, private and third sectors

• practitioners such as veterinarians, farmers, clinicians

• representatives from civil society, humanitarian and independent non-government organisations

• local communities

The same project partner can be included on multiple projects.

Each project partner must provide a statement of support.

Project partner eligibility

Any individual included in your application core team cannot also be a project partner.Any organisation that employs a member of the application core team cannot be a project partner organisation. This includes other departments within the same organisation.

If you are collaborating with someone in your organisation, consider including them in the core team as project co-lead, or specialist. They cannot be a project partner.

Project subcontractor

A project subcontractor is defined as a third-party individual who is not employed as staff on the grant, who is subcontracted by a participating organisation to deliver a specific piece of work. Subcontractors will be allowed in line with UKRI terms and conditions for research grants.

Project partner and subcontractor entitlement to project outputs and intellectual property

Entitlement to the outputs of a project or intellectual property will be determined between the parties involved. However, any access to project outputs or intellectual property must be in line with any relevant subsidy control regulation. Under UKRI terms and conditions for research grants you must always ensure that the grant funding awarded to you is compliant with the Subsidy Control Act 2022. Any entitlements will need to be set out in a formal collaboration agreement if a grant is awarded, as per FEC grant condition RGC 12.1.

What we will support

We will support:

• applications from research groups that combine a range of talent and expertise from different disciplines, geographies, institutions and that foster a cultural diversity of stakeholders and researchers with novel perspectives

• multi-disciplinary collaborations and partnerships, including the involvement of private sector partners and other stakeholders. However, businesses cannot be funded through this opportunity

Partnerships with relevant government agencies is strongly encouraged, but not mandatory.

We aim to fund ambitious projects that will transform veterinary vaccinology landscape by bringing multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, and cross-sectoral partnerships, fully aligning with the vision of this programme and ensuring co-leads are fully integrated in the design and delivery of the project.

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) fund veterinary vaccinology research through other mechanisms, for example BBSRC Standard Mode, which can be found on the funding finder. Please explore those alternative funding opportunities if your research does not align with the scope of this funding opportunity, for example if you are aiming to address only specific aspects of veterinary vaccinology pipeline.

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:

• career breaks

• support for people with caring responsibilities

• flexible working

• alternative working patterns

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

Aim

The aims of the programme are to:

• engineer next generation ‘plug and play’ veterinary vaccine technology platforms by exploiting cutting edge transformative technologies underpinned by deep understanding of host immune response and host-pathogen interactions

• characterise platforms by conducting systematic and comparative evaluation to support the ‘plug and play’ framework for developing safe and cost-effective vaccines

• embed a One Health approach that will foster the development of new vaccine technology platforms suitable for use in animals and humans

Scope

This strategic research programme, funded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), will catalyse the UK research and innovation community to use multi-disciplinary approaches to engineer next generation veterinary vaccine technology platforms. It will lead to forming a ‘plug and play’ modular design to enable rapid response and large-scale manufacturing associated with a smaller footprint, lower cost, and easier deployment.

The scope of the programme will target areas within the pipeline of platform technologies, from antigen discovery and delivery through to immunological understanding with focus on addressing key unmet needs in veterinary vaccine research and innovation. See the Global Veterinary Vaccinology Research and Innovation Landscape Survey Report | STAR-IDAZ on the STAR-IDAZ website.

This programme will focus on transformative technologies that will offer mechanisms to engineer next generation veterinary vaccines through ‘de novo’ platforms or modifying existing platforms. To enable a step change in the field of veterinary vaccinology, a systematic and comparative evaluation of platforms is required including administration route, pathogen type and the species-specific protective immunity differences relating to vaccine technology platforms and the efficacy of potential products. Such an analysis could include, but not limited to the:

• functionality of the platforms across species

• administration routes, for example, mucosal or intramuscular

• choice of pathogens

• species-specific differences in protective efficacy of the platforms and how these induce different immune responses for effective implementation

• systematic evaluation of vaccine efficacy and safety across species and pathogen

The research funded through this programme will develop vaccines for livestock and aquaculture and to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The scope of the programme is disease agnostic.

This programme will fund research consortia comprising cross-sector partnerships of academia, industry (through subcontracting), and where appropriate government agencies (for example: if working on statutory disease linked to reference laboratories). This is to ensure the ultimately successful development, registration and deployment of novel vaccines through a thorough assessment of their base platform technology.

It is envisaged that this investment will catalyse transformation of veterinary vaccines research and innovation beyond existing capabilities through:

• the engineering of novel and well-characterised technology platforms

• the development and evaluation of new tools, technologies, and approaches for veterinary vaccines up to the proof-of-concept stage in the respective target animal species

• significant research advances in ‘unmet’ needs of veterinary vaccines, such as mucosal and bacterial vaccines

• adopting transformative technologies, such as artificial intelligence or engineering biology, which are underpinned by immunological data to allow for joined up approaches for rational design of veterinary vaccines

• platform technologies which can be shared across veterinary and medical communities

• the development of next generation veterinary vaccine platforms that can be taken into late-stage vaccine development through interest from industry

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

We encourage the research and innovation community to work together when developing applications. We expect to fund up to three research consortia, fostering a cohort of projects to address the challenges of platform technologies for veterinary vaccines.

We will take a portfolio approach to ensure a breadth of proposals are supported where the quality of applications allows.

We strongly encourage new partnerships that encompass disciplines not traditionally involved with veterinary vaccinology research to facilitate novel thinking and increase capacity in veterinary vaccinology field.

We expect projects to harness expertise from across the bioscience community and beyond, including but not limited to:

• artificial intelligence specialists

• chemists

• computational and data scientists

• engineers

• immunologists

• industry

• medical scientists

• One Health experts

• policy makers

• social scientists

• synthetic biologists

• veterinarians

We strongly encourage early career researcher and research technical professionals to be involved in funded projects. At least one co-lead must be an early career researcher.

The expected outcomes of research and innovation funded through this initiative include:

• enhanced understanding of optimal vaccine platforms for species and pathogens and optimal delivery routes to develop suitable commercial veterinary vaccine candidates

• better characterised platforms including immune response, optimal delivery route

• a cohesive veterinary vaccine platform community which undertakes knowledge exchange, generating comparative understanding, analysis, and evaluation of candidate platforms across the vaccinology landscape

• building research capacity and interdisciplinary capability where the sum is bigger than the parts

• increase in partnership working between academia, industry and government agencies

• creation of robust and consistent database to enable the optimal selection of future vaccine candidate development options

Duration

The maximum duration of this award is five years.

Funding available

Projects will be selected for funding jointly by BBSRC and Defra.

The 100% FEC of your project can be £3 million to £4 million.

BBSRC will fund 80% of the FEC.

Total cost to BBSRC (80% FEC value) must be between £2.4 million and £3.2 million. We are aiming to fund up to three consortia fostering a One Health approach addressing the unmet need in veterinary vaccinology.

What we will fund

Funded consortia should:

• foster cross-sector partnerships that bring together a range of expertise and disciplines, adopting multi-disciplinary working and a One Health approach

• encompass disciplines not traditionally involved in veterinary vaccinology research to facilitate novel thinking

• focus on veterinary vaccine technology platforms that can have broad applicability

• focus on any pathogens and AMR effecting animal health

• improve the health and welfare of any livestock or aquaculture relevant species

What we will not fund

Funded consortia should not:

• focus on developing a single vaccine for a single disease or pathogen. Aspects of the project can focus on a single disease or pathogen, but tools and technologies should have broad applicability across multiple conditions

• fund commercialisation and deployment of vaccine technology

• develop vaccine tools and technology that solely focus on improving human health and disease burden

• develop vaccine tools and technology that solely focus on improving health or reducing disease burden in non-food producing animals such as wildlife and companion animals

• consist of leads and co-leads from a single organisation

You cannot request funding for costs such as:

• product development costs

• fees or stipends for postgraduate studentships

• publication costs

Applications that are deemed out of scope by the BBSRC will be rejected without reference to expert review.

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 applicants can find additional support.

Assessment process

We will assess your application using the following process.

Examination of applications

If your application falls outside of the scope of the funding opportunity, you will be notified by email confirming rejection of your application. There will be no feedback.

Expert review

Applications that pass initial eligibility and scope checks will be independently reviewed by experts against the specified criteria for this funding opportunity as described elsewhere in the funding opportunity text.

You will not be able to nominate reviewers for applications on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service. Research councils and partners will continue to select expert reviewers.

The requirement for applicant-nominated reviewers is under review as part of the ongoing improvement to the Funding Service.

In this opportunity, panel members will act as expert reviewers. Applicants will have opportunity to reply to panel members’ comments before applications are taken to panel.

Panel meeting

The panel will consist of the same experts who conducted the initial reviews. They will use the reviews and your response to reviewers’ comments to assess the quality of your application and rank it alongside other applications to make its funding recommendations to funders.

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will make the final funding decisions.

Following assessment, a final funding recommendation will be made to BBSRC and Defra. Decisions will factor the quality of submissions, strategic relevance and the portfolio of projects supported. We’ll take a portfolio approach to ensure a breadth of proposals are supported where the quality of applications allows.

Feedback

All applications, that are reviewed by the panel, will receive reviewer comments as feedback. If your application was discussed at the funding panel, any further feedback will be provided within eight weeks (by email) of the panel meeting.

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.

Using generative artificial intelligence (AI) in expert review

Reviewers and panellists are not permitted to use generative AI tools to develop their assessment. Using these tools can potentially compromise the confidentiality of the ideas that applicants have entrusted to UKRI to safeguard.

For more detail see our policy on the use of generative AI.

Sharing data with co-funders

UKRI will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with our co-funders, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) so that they can participate in the assessment process.

For more information on how Defra uses personal information visit Defra’s Personal information charter.

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

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

• vision of the project

• approach to the project

• applicant and team capability to deliver

• ethical and responsible research and innovation considerations of the project

• resources and cost justification

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

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

Click here to start application on the UKRI Funding Service Are you leading the project? - UKRI Funding Service

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.orgPlease 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.

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

• tables

• 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 may 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

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.

Deadline

BBSRC must receive your application by 16 September 2025, 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. If there is any organisation outside of UKRI that we will be sharing the applications with, even if they are not co-funding the opportunity, then they must be mentioned here.

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), as part of UKRI, will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with Defra so that they can participate in the assessment process. For more information on how Defra uses personal information, visit Defra’s Personal information charter.

Sensitive information

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

Publication of outcomes

BBSRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at What BBSRC has funded.

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

• a One Health approach

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

• professional enabling staff

• research and innovation associate

• technician

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.

Application questions

Vision

Word limit: 550

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

• impacts world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment

• is driven by the needs of populations where the research is taking place (where appropriate)

• will purposefully seek to translate and maximise the impact of your research on policy, programmes and practice (where research is positioned at the more translational or applied end of the spectrum)

Within the Vision section we also expect you to:

• explain how the proposal is ambitious, novel and adds value to the current research landscape and addresses unmet needs in veterinary vaccinology

• identify the potential direct or indirect benefits and who the beneficiaries might be

• identify potential impacts of your research on animal health and welfare and where relevant to public health

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.

Approach

Word limit: 3,500

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 innovative, 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

• embeds multidisciplinary approaches, including identifying potential challenges in delivering multidisciplinary research and how these will be overcome

• considers previous work and identifies limitations of current approaches

• will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts

• describes how 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:

• describe the expected transformation in the field of veterinary vaccinology with your proposed platform

• show how the work will support a One Health approach that will foster collaboration and multi-disciplinary working

• demonstrate the applicability of the tools and technologies developed in a One Health context across multiple species and pathogens

• demonstrate access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment to deliver the project

• provide a project plan including deliverables and timelines, in the form of an embedded Gantt chart or similar

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

Word limit: 1,650

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

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Evidence of how your team has:

• the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the proposed work, highlighting which of the project leads or co-leads are early career researchers

• 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 assessors will also be asked to consider:

• whether the project has included appropriate approaches to multidisciplinary and One Health working

• whether the project team has the requisite capability, multidisciplinarity and sustainability to deliver the proposed research

• how appropriate the balance of expertise including geography, institution and sectors is, particularly when considering the need to work across different disciplines encompassing a One Health approach

We recognise that applications might draw together relevant expertise from multiple organisations and regions. For administrative purposes it is necessary to identify a single project lead who must be affiliated with the lead research organisation. The project lead and their research office will be ultimately responsible for the administration of the grant and collaboration arrangements. However, the balance of research activity and leadership across the leadership team and partner organisations can be shared as is appropriate for your application.

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 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, including public partnerships

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.

The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles.

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, and the timescale for doing so

All necessary ethical approvals much be in place before the project commences, but do not need to have been secured at the time of application.

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

The following can be included to support your response_:_

• any relevant ethical approval from your institution

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 Research involving the use of animals template (DOCX, 52.5KB), 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. 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, such as:

• cattle

• goats

• pigs

• rabbits

• rodents

• sheep

• xenopus laevis and xenopus tropicalis

• zebrafish

Select, download, and complete the relevant Word checklist or checklists by exploring NC3Rs checklist for the use of animals overseas.

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 £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’

• animal costs, such as numbers that need to be bred or maintained and to maintain high welfare standards

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

Your organisation’s support

Word limit: 700

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 how they will support you, as the applicant, and your proposed activities. 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.

Assessors will be looking for a strong statement of support from your research organisation. This information should have been approved for submission by an appropriate institutional authority.

You must also include the following details:

• a significant person’s name, their position and office or department, or all

• office address or web link

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

In the upload, you can include details of the early career researcher co-lead eligibility if you feel this is needed, for example if they are currently completing a fellowship which will come to an end before the start of the project.

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

You must ensure that any third-party individual or organisation you include within the Funding Service as a project partner, also provides you with a supporting email or letter of support (see next section ‘Project partners: letters or emails of support’).

The individual named as the project partner contact, cannot be included in your application as a member of the core team, in any core team role.

The project partner organisation cannot be an applicant organisation, where any member of the core team is based. For example, you cannot include a different department based within the applicant organisation as a project partner.

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 there are specific circumstances where project partners do require funding for minor costs such as travel and subsistence, these project partner costs should be claimed and justified within the resources and costs section of your application.

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

Multiple project partners

If you have multiple project partners, you should:

• ensure each separate partner letter or email of support, does not exceed two pages of A4

• consolidate all the supporting documents provided by each project partner into a single PDF file before uploading

• ensure the PDF does not exceed the maximum file size of 8MB

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: 700

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: 250

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.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

Word limit: 100

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 license 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 list these

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).

Background

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) in collaboration with Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and other global funding organisations have helped expert consultations and carried out surveys to identify gaps in veterinary vaccinology research. The following are some key examples.

The Global Vaccinology Research and Innovation Landscape Report published in January 2022 (PDF, 2KB) was an analysis of the Survey on the Global Veterinary Vaccinology Research and Innovation Landscape conducted by UKRI-BBSRC on behalf of STAR-IDAZ International Research Consortium on Animal Health (STAR-IDAZ) and the veterinary vaccinology research funders and programme owners.

STAR-IDAZ highlights priority topics and publishes reports and research roadmaps that should be taken into account when applying for this funding opportunity.

Research and innovation impact

Impact can be defined as the long-term intended or unintended effect research and innovation has on society, economy and the environment; to individuals, organisations, and the wider global population.

Webinar for potential applicants

A community webinar describing the funding opportunity was held on 12 May 2025.

Watch the webinar recording here (YouTube).

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.

Related content

• UKRI policies and standards

• BBSRC policies and standards

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 application 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 at vaccinology@bbsrc.ukri.org

• Defra at erritt@defra.gov.uk

Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.

Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org

Phone: 01793 547490

Our phone lines are open:

• Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm

• Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

To help us process queries quicker, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.

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