Mid-range equipment for biosciences research: ALERT 2026 (Grant)

About this opportunity

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 research the equipment will enable aims and objectives potential outcomes and benefits Core team List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following: project lead (PL) project co-lead (UK) (PcL) specialist professional enabling staff research and innovation associate technician researcher co-lead (RcL) Only list one individual as project lead. The core team should only include those individuals involved in the delivery and operation of the requested equipment. Details of users and projects should be provided in the ‘Vision’ section. Any suppliers, manufacturers or industrial partners that have an integral role in the grant should be included in the ‘Project partners’ section and should provide a letter of support. 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 . Research technical professionals A research technical professional can be listed as a project lead or project co-lead, provided that: demonstrate the expertise, skills and capability to deliver the proposed application show how they will achieve the proposed outcomes, including appropriate project management, leadership and knowledge their appointment is resourced from the central funds of their research organisation at the time of application their contract extends beyond the duration of the project, or such a contract would be put in place if the proposal is successful If you have any questions regarding eligibility, please contact us at bbsrcalert@bbsrc.ukri.org before submitting your application. Purpose Word limit: 1,500 What is the equipment, why is it needed, and why should BBSRC support it? To describe the equipment you are requesting, you must complete the equipment classification table (DOCX 98.7KB) supplied in the ‘Additional information’ section and paste this table into the text box as part of your application. What the assessors are looking for in your response Explain how the proposed equipment: is timely, given current trends and context delivers an unmet need meets community demand and need from a diverse and inclusive user base enhances and complements existing research capability at a local, regional, or national scale meets the strategic aims of BBSRC, UKRI or the government Please provide a summary of existing facilities beyond the institution, including identification of similar instruments overseas or in industry, outlining reasons why they cannot be utilised for the intended research. We recommend applicants make use of equipment databases when deciding on what equipment to request, such as the Equipment Data Service operated by Jisc. Where multi-component equipment is requested, to support your response, please provide a clear diagram or schematic that demonstrates how the equipment will operate as a pipeline or platform. You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the UKRI Funding Service. Vision Word limit: 2,500 What are you hoping to achieve with the proposed equipment? What the assessors are looking for in your response Explain how the proposed equipment will: enable high quality, novel or transformative research with the potential to generate new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area offer training opportunities for the wider community have measurable impact beyond the immediate team, including on world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment be of international importance (if applicable) enhance the UK’s research and innovation capabilities through local, regional or national activity Please provide a detailed plan of research which includes a description of the users and projects that will be supported by the equipment, with sufficient experimental detail to allow the panel to assess the quality of the research, including preliminary results where possible. 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: 2,000 What are your plans to manage the proposed equipment? Please provide a Gantt chart, or similar project timeline, outlining the steps required to procure, install, and deploy the equipment, as well as any activities needed to train users and staff. The chart should clearly identify all activities to be undertaken during the award period and does not need to include details of the research that will be performed using the equipment. What the assessors are looking for in your response We expect you to show how your approach: is feasible, identifying any risks to delivery and citing appropriate mitigation provides details of access and usage estimates, particularly where a culture of equipment sharing may extend use to external users considers the user perspective and their needs, including how feedback will be sought and subsequently used to inform the management of the resource provides long-term technical support which will be available for the requested equipment provides training and development of technical staff describes how the research environment (in terms of the place, its location, complementary expertise, facilities and relevance to the proposal) will contribute to the successful utilisation of the equipment 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. Please also provide a plan for prioritising access to and maximising usage of the infrastructure. This should include any application and assessment processes and an estimate for the balance of users from the host institution, academics from external institutions and industrial users. Sustainability Word limit: 1,500 What steps have you taken to ensure the sustainability (economic, environmental and social) of your proposed equipment? What the assessors are looking for in your response For the sustainability, explain how the proposed equipment: is as economically, environmentally and socially sustainable as possible will have its lifetime maximised, including stating what the expected lifetime is and, where relevant, how the asset will be sustainably decommissioned Within the Sustainability section we also expect you to explain: how long-term operational and maintenance costs, including staffing, will be supported how the proposed equipment will be integrated into an existing service, facility, equipment pool, or similar how the proposed equipment will contribute to UKRI or host institute carbon reduction targets if relevant, how the proposed equipment contributes to a broader approach to environmental sustainability, such an enhancing biodiversity or clean air, as well as reducing carbon emissions your plans for sustainability and legacy beyond the end of award period. These could include cost recovery models, securing additional funding, development or expansion after the initial period of funding how you have considered equality, diversity and inclusion, including equitable access, in the design and planned use of the equipment to maximise benefit to the UK bioscience community Applicant and team capability to deliver Word limit: 2,250 Why are you the right individual or team to procure and manage the proposed equipment? 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 count for this section is 2,250 words: 1,750 words to be used for Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) modules (including references) and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions. Use the 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 to 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 below. You should 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 following key skills each team member brings: contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships contributions to the wider research and innovation community contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit Additions Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example,