Opportunity status:
Open
Funders:
Funding type:
Grant
Maximum award:
£2,000,000
Publication date:
1 May 2026
Opening date:
1 May 2026 9:00am UK time
Closing date:
Open - no closing date
Apply for funding to support excellent investigator-led research across the breadth of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) scientific remit.
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for BBSRC funding. Standard research grants are available for researchers at eligible research organisations.
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £2 million. Funding is available for up to five years. BBSRC will fund 80% of the FEC.
Who can apply
This opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. .
Who is not eligible to apply
Organisations based overseas and business-based applicants are not eligible to apply. Overseas and business-based collaborators can be added as project partners on an application, please see for more information.
If you are applying via the IPA or LINK scheme, please include details of industry partner in the ‘Project partners’ section.
Resubmissions
We will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects that have been submitted to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) or any other funder.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
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
for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.
What we're looking for
Demand management
Demand management is not currently being applied to this funding opportunity. However, should the level of interest exceed what can be managed within the assessment process, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) may introduce limits on the number of applications that can be submitted. Further details will be clearly communicated where this is the case. UKRI encourages organisations to support applicants in preparing well-planned, high-quality applications that are competitive for funding relative to the funding opportunity.
Aim
This scheme supports excellent investigator-led research across the breadth of the .
Scope
Funding is available for:
* research projects, including data intensive and technology development projects
* equipment or use of existing facilities
* community resources, new facilities, or infrastructure
* research networks and coordination
* summer schools
You can apply to undertake biotechnology or biological research in:
* plants
* microbes
* animals and humans
* tools and technology underpinning biological research
Investigations within and across scales are supported, from molecules and cells, to tissues, whole organisms, populations and landscapes.
We welcome multidisciplinary proposals that cross into other research council areas but expect the primary focus of your work to fall within BBSRC’s remit.
We work with other research councils to ensure that applications close to remit boundaries are assessed by the most appropriate lead council.