Area of investment and support

Collaborative research with users

The research underpins a variety of different user needs, including business sectors. Collaborating and engaging with users increases the potential for research impact, and we encourage you to submit applications for collaborative research projects with users.

• Budget: BBSRC’s standard research grant provides up to £2 million for projects in this priority area.
• Duration: The standard research grant is an ongoing scheme. Projects can last up to five years.
• Partners involved: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)

The scope and what we're doing

This priority area encompasses collaborative research projects with users across the breadth of our remit. It includes Industrial Partnership Awards and LINK schemes (research grants involving an industrial partner) as well as collaborations that fall outside the scope of these schemes, but meet the following requirements:

• any collaborator must be a named project partner and should not be eligible for funding from BBSRC, or be an academic institution
• you must show the value of the partnership including the scientific benefits of the project to both parties
• you should outline in the application how the collaboration will increase the likelihood of impact.

Additional support for knowledge exchange

In addition to this priority, we also provide a portfolio of mechanisms to enable the development of collaborations, encourage knowledge exchange between academia and users, and support the commercialisation of research outputs.

Find out more about how BBSRC supports collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Why we're doing it

We have a responsibility to enable the widest possible benefit to society and the economy from the excellent research we support through public funding.

The research we fund underpins a variety of different user needs, including in business sectors, which can provide a significant route to application for BBSRC-funded research.

Collaborating and engaging with users increases the potential for research impact. We encourage you to submit applications for collaborative research projects with users, and to consider user engagement within the case for support where appropriate.

Opportunities, support and resources available

This is one of BBSRC’s priority areas for our standard research grant. You can apply at any time.

Apply for a BBSRC standard research grant

Standard (sometimes known as ‘responsive’) funding opportunities are open to a wide range of research and approaches within BBSRC’s remit.

Find out more about applying for funding and what to include in your application.

Who to contact

Standard research grant priority areas

See our contacts for standard research grant priorities.

Business engagement

Email: business.unit@bbsrc.ukri.org

Last updated: 17 August 2023