Opportunity status: Closed
Funders: AIBIO-UK (BBSRC)
Funding type: Grant
Total fund this call: £100,000
Award Limit: £20,000
Submission due date: 2nd Dec 2024, 4pm
Funding period: 1st January 2025 to 31st December 2025
Project duration: Up to six months
AIBIO-UK is pleased to open our 1st Pilot Studies funding call to support tools and resources in the AI/Biosciences space.
We are looking for proposals which will draw other bioscience researchers into the AI space, and vice versa. This could include:
- making existing models or data analysis approaches more accessible for the bioscience community;
- developing training materials to teach the community how to use a resource or dataset;
- integrating Research Software Engineer time to develop tools, resources or datasets to wider community standards;
- running community activities and workshops focusing on tool and dataset development;
- conducting a small-scale research project that could catalyse further developments around tools or resources, e.g. pursue other funding opportunities, create new capacity, etc.
Who can apply?
Standard UKRI eligibility rules apply. Research grants are open to the following, assuming they are eligible to receive UKRI funding:
- UK higher education institutions
- Public sector research establishments
- Research council institutes
The lead applicant will need to be a resident in the UK and meet at least one of the criteria below:
- employed at the submitting research organisation at lecturer level or above;
- hold a fixed-term contract that extends beyond the duration of the proposed project, and the host research organisation is prepared to give all the support normal for a permanent employee;
- hold an UKRI, Royal Society or Royal Academy of Engineering fellowship aimed at later career stages (excl. industry employees);
- hold fellowships under other schemes (please contact us to check eligibility, which is considered on a case-by-case basis).
Holders of postdoctoral-level fellowships are not eligible to apply for an UKRI grant.
Thematic Areas
Any proposal needs to be within BBSRC remit; however, we strongly encourage interdisciplinary applications as well. This call is focused on the development of tools and resources.
Topics could include, but are not limited to:
- AI model-related tools to support sustainable agriculture
- Ethical and Responsible AI tools for biosciences
- Livestock and animal disease monitoring with AI
- AI for Systems Biology
- AI for Humans, such as genetics, cell biology, genomics, and other areas that are within BBSRC’s remit
- AI for wild species, e.g. pests in an agricultural setting or pollinators of crops, or similar
- AI for land management, when it relates to agriculture
- AI for multiomics
- Development of openly available repositories, datasets, data and other community-facing activities that support open access and open research
Funding Available
Up to £100,000 total funding is available to support up to 5 grants for up to 6 months, awarded at 80% full economic cost (fEC).
Projects can request up to £20,000 (at 80% fEC).
How to Apply
Please use the provided form to submit your application, making sure the assessment criteria are carefully considered. Please be clear how your application meets the objectives of AIBIO-UK and how it can support the growth of the AI in the Biosciences community via tools and resources.
https://forms.office.com/e/dp6gVD6Q5W
We strongly encourage the co-development of projects with other institutions, and across disciplines, wherever relevant.
AIBIO-UK reserves the right not to fund a project if ethical or trusted research concerns exist and/or are raised by the review.
Assessment process and criteria
The proposals will be assessed from the AIBIO-UK management team. Where a conflict of interest arises, the management team will consult with the AIBIO-UK Steering group.
Assessment criteria
Quality
- Relevance of the project to AIBIO-UK aims
- Suitability of proposed methodology to create and deliver resources
- Quality and impact of the proposed tools and resources
Applicant team
- Expertise and capabilities within the applicant team to deliver the project
- New collaborations, or evidenced of increased interdisciplinary activity
Costing
- Reasonable and well justified costs
- Consideration of long-term plans to support the developed resource
Additional conditions
Awards will be confirmed upon acceptance of the non-negotiable Terms and Conditions, which will be set out in the Award Letter.
The project team of all funded projects will be required to engage fully with the programme, including participating in some AIBIO-UK activities and events, and reporting at the end of the project.