We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.
Applicants who are invited to apply to the funding opportunity will receive an application link when the funding opportunity opens.
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
You can only apply for this funding opportunity if you receive an invitation from EPSRC. The start application link will be provided to you via email.
- Confirm you are the project lead.
- 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.org
Please allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service.
- 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. You should:
- use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
- insert each new image onto a new line
- provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
- ensure files are smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
Watch our research office webinars about the new Funding Service.
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
References
Applications should be self-contained, and hyperlinks should only be used to provide links directly to reference information. To ensure the information’s integrity is maintained, where possible, persistent identifiers such as digital object identifiers should be used. Assessors are not required to access links to carry out assessment or recommend a funding decision. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.
References should be included in the appropriate question section of the application and be easily identifiable by the assessors for example (Smith, Research Paper, 2019).
You must not include links to web resources to extend your application.
Deadline
EPSRC must receive your application by 4:00pm UK time on 20 August 2024.
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. If an application is withdrawn prior to peer review or office rejected due to substantive errors in the application, it cannot be resubmitted to the opportunity.
Personal data
Processing personal data
EPSRC, 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.
Publication of outcomes
EPSRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at Grants on the Web.
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 infrastructure addresses
- aims and objectives
- potential applications 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)
- researcher co-lead (RcL)
- specialist
- grant manager
- professional enabling staff
- research and innovation associate
- technician
- visiting researcher
Postdoctoral research assistants should be included on the grant as research and innovation associate.
A research technical professional can be listed as a project lead or project co-lead (UK), provided that:
- their appointment is resourced from the central funds of their institution at the time of application
- their level of responsibilities and duties is appropriate to a person with substantial research experience
- their contract extends beyond the duration of the project
Please do not add industry project partners in this category, as these should be added in the ’Project partners’ section instead.
Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.
Application questions
Purpose: strategic infrastructure funding route
Word limit: 825
Why is this infrastructure needed and why should EPSRC support it?
Use this section if you are applying for the strategic infrastructure funding route.
Enter ‘N/A’ in the text box and do not upload an attachment for this section if you are applying for the resources to support existing strategic infrastructure funding route, then move onto the next section.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how the infrastructure sought will:
- meet national needs by establishing or maintaining a unique or world leading activity, or both
- enhance and complement the existing regional or national research capability
- evidence the strong demand and community need from a diverse and inclusive user base
- meet the strategic aims of the funding organisation
Describe alternative plans for how the research would be achieved should the equipment not be funded. The plans should reflect:
- host organisation strategies for this infrastructure
- institutional commitment to the infrastructure landscape
- how the infrastructure sought is different from what is already available in the wider research landscape
You should input your response to this section in the text box.
Within this section you also have the option to create a single document that includes support letters or emails from organisations that have shown a clear intention to use the infrastructure. This document should only include letters that are highly selective and demonstrating significant support.
Applicants are advised to only include letters from a cross-section of key users, rather than from every user. These may represent different universities within or outside any regional alliance or may indicate relevance to key collaborators within industrial sectors. Only one letter is permitted per organisation.
Each letter or email you provide should clearly explain the value, relevance and possible benefits of the work to users.
Please do not include letters of support from project partners in this section. We have a separate section for ‘Project partners: letters or emails of support’.
For the file name, use the unique Funding Service number the system gives you when you create an application, followed by the words ‘Purpose letters of support from key users’.
Save this document as a single PDF file, no bigger than 8MB. Unless specifically requested, please do not include any sensitive data within the attachment.
If the attachment does not meet these requirements, the application will be rejected.
References may be included within this section.
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.
Purpose: resources to support existing strategic infrastructure funding route
Word limit: 825
Why is this resource needed and why should EPSRC support it?
Use this section if you are applying for the resources to support existing strategic infrastructure funding route.
Enter ‘N/A’ in the text box and do not upload an attachment for this section if you are applying for the strategic infrastructure funding route, then move onto the next section.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how the resource sought will:
- meet national needs by establishing or maintaining a unique or world leading activity, or both
- enhance and complement the existing regional or national research capability
- evidence the strong demand and community need from a diverse and inclusive user base
- meet the strategic aims of the funding organisation
- result in significant efficiencies, increased usage or greater capacity, or both, compared to the current situation
Describe alternative plans for how the research would be achieved should the request not be funded. The plans should reflect:
- host organisation strategies for the infrastructure
- institutional commitment to the infrastructure landscape
You should input your response to this section in the text box.
References may be included within this section.
Vision
Word limit: 1,650
What research will be enabled by this infrastructure?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how the infrastructure sought will enable research that:
- is high quality, novel and transformative
- is timely, given current trends and context
- is relevant to identified stakeholders, including users
- will have a measurable impact beyond the immediate team, with an appropriate approach to achieving impact
You should input your response to this section in the text box.
References may be included within this section.
Approach
Word limit: 1,650
What are your plans to manage the proposed infrastructure?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how your approach includes:
- a credible work plan including milestones, deliverables and associated risks in the form of a Gantt chart or similar
- a credible management plan including 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
- an accessibility plan to demonstrate how you will consider and demonstrate your pathway to ensuring and improving accessibility of this infrastructure and its user diversity during and beyond the duration of this grant. This plan should include, but is not limited to:
- how you will establish, monitor progress, maintain and report on user accessibility throughout the lifetime of the grant, for example through mechanisms such as Equality Impact Assessments, User Accessibility Surveys and Codes of Conduct, as well as acting as role models for the community on good practice
- how you will establish, retain, and evolve a diverse and inclusive user base throughout the lifetime of the infrastructure
- your approach to team inclusion, including how you will establish and maintain a universally accessible and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and all voices in the team are valued, regardless of personal circumstances
Within the accessibility plan we would expect the inclusion of examples of the types of activities the applicant team would undertake, we expect these will evolve during the lifetime of the infrastructure.
An accessibility plan background and a questions and answers document from the February 2024 community webinar are available under the ‘Additional information’ section.
You should input your response to this section in the text box. Your response should include:
- up to 500 words for project work plan, including milestones, deliverables and associated risks in the form of a Gantt chart or similar
- up to 500 words for a detailed management plan including user prioritisation mechanisms
- up to 500 words for a detailed accessibility plan for user base and team inclusion
References may be included within this section.
Sustainability
Word limit: 825
What are your plans for sustainability of the proposed infrastructure beyond the end of this funding?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how your plans for sustainability include:
- an appropriate cost recovery model
- a plan for training and development of specialist technical staff
- steps to enhance the environmental sustainability of the proposed infrastructure
- a plan for the development or expansion of the user base after the initial period of funding
You should input your response to this section in the text box.
References may be included within this section.
Applicant and team capability to deliver
Word limit: 1,650
Why are you the right individual, team and place to procure and manage this infrastructure?
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) to deliver the proposed work
- 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
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 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
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.
UKRI has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new Funding Service. For full details, see Eligibility as an individual.
Resources and cost justification
Word limit: 1,500
What will you need to procure and manage the proposed infrastructure and how much will it cost?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular:
- the cost of the proposed infrastructure
- any resources (for example staff or maintenance costs) associated with the infrastructure
- any resources requested for activities to expand the user base, increase impact, for public engagement or to support responsible innovation
- the nature and level of contributions from your partner organisations if applicable
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
Note that due to limited functionality on the new Funding Service, you can only select the infrastructure requested at either 80% or 100% full economic cost (FEC) in the automated resource and cost form at this round of the application. For any percentages requested not at 80% or 100% FEC, you should input 100% FEC equipment costs under ‘Exceptions’ and ensure to explain in the text box the percentage FEC and value requested from EPSRC and contributed from elsewhere.
Within the ‘Resources and cost justification’ section we also expect you to provide a short summary of quotations from at least three suppliers for all items of equipment costing more than £25,000. If there are only one or two suppliers for any piece of equipment, state this and explain why.
Your organisation’s support
Word limit: 1,100
Provide details of support from your host institution.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide a Statement of Support from your host institution detailing why the proposed infrastructure is needed. This should include details of any host institution contributions that will be provided to support the infrastructure and any support that might add value to the work.
The assessors will be looking for a strong statement of commitment from your host institution on:
- how its contributions are in line with the scale of the proposed infrastructure, including evidencing the strategic importance of this infrastructure to the institution
- why your host institution is the most appropriate place for the proposed infrastructure
- how your host institution will use its existing inventory to best complement the proposed infrastructure
- how your host institution will support the team to meet the proposal objectives
- the plans to support sustainability and management of the proposed infrastructure
Applicants are encouraged to discuss this section with both the research offices and senior management team prior to submitting applications.
EPSRC recognises that in some instances, this information may be provided by the Research Office, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) or equivalent, or a combination of both.
You must also include the following details:
- a significant person’s name and their position, from the TTO or Research Office, or both
- office address or web link
References may be included within this section.
Upload details are provided within the service on the actual application.
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 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.
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 in-direct) 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: letters (or emails) of support
Word limit 10
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
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 contributions template.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Do not provide letters of support from host and project co-leads’ research organisations.
Facilities
Word limit: 250
Does your proposed research require the support and use of a facility?
If not, enter ‘N/A’ into the text box, mark this section as complete and move on to the next section.
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, 35KB)
- 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)
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
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the service.
If you are collecting or using data, identify:
- any legal and ethical considerations of collecting, releasing or storing the data including consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security and other ethical considerations and, in particular, strategies to not preclude further reuse of data
- formal information standards with which your study will comply
Additional sub-questions (to be answered only if appropriate) will be included in the Funding Service. These will ask about numbers, species/strain and justification about:
- genetic and biological risk
- research involving the use of animals
- conducting research with animal overseas
- research involving human participation
- research involving human tissues or biological samples
Data management and sharing
Word limit: 250
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.
