Biomedical resources – SCHEME TO BE DISCONTINUED

Purpose

Important changes are being made to the Trust’s biomedical science grant programmes, which will affect this scheme.

This grant provides support for researchers wishing to establish or maintain biomedical resources (including databases and collections) for the benefit of the wider scientific community.

What's included

Up to five years' support is available, and research expenses can include:

• salaries for research assistants and/or technicians
• materials and consumables
• the purchase and maintenance of animals
• the purchase and maintenance of equipment
• collaborative travel.

A travel allowance to attend scientific meetings is automatically provided as part of an award.

Requests for research leave for up to five years may be included. Awards for research leave will provide the salary of a temporary lecturer (usually at a lesser level of seniority), research expenses and a travel allowance.

The cost of a biomedical resources grant can be expected to vary, but a typical three-year award would normally not exceed £1 million.

Eligibility

Applicants in the UK/Republic of Ireland should meet our standard eligibility criteria and are expected to have a track record in obtaining grant funding.

Developing and restructuring country researchers may be eligible to apply for support if they can demonstrate that they have established a strong independent track record of research accomplishment. This could include publications in the international scientific literature, or success in obtaining research funding from the Wellcome Trust or a similar funding agency.

Such applicants must establish their eligibility by early contact with Trust staff prior to the completion of any application forms. Please direct your initial queries by email to the appropriate funding stream inbox (see 'Contacts'). The information required at this stage is a CV for each applicant including full publication record, details of source of personal salary support, duration of employment contract and a list of research grants held; a one page outline of the proposal and approximate costings.

Applicants requesting a period of research leave should have an established university post, and must be able to demonstrate that they are active in research but have a high teaching/administrative load that is hampering research progress.

These applicants must be sponsored by their head of department and must provide details of hours spent on teaching, administration and clinical duties.

Application process

You must submit a preliminary application including the following information (maximum of five pages plus CVs and written confirmation of any contributions from other sources):

• details of the resource to be established and/or maintained
• a statement articulating the need for the resource and how demand for it has been ascertained, and providing an overview of any consultations with user (or potential user) communities
• an indication of how the resource will be disseminated, maintained and its success evaluated, and how demand for access will be managed and prioritised
• an overview of the plans for data management and sharing
• brief CVs of all applicants (up to five permissible), including details of the organisation with whom a contract of employment is held; the duration and source of personal salary funding, e.g. Higher Education Funding Council or other (must be specified); and brief details of any relevant experience of managing a resource
• an approximation of the costs broken down into staffing, running costs and equipment.

Preliminary applications should be submitted by email only to the appropriate stream inbox (see ‘Contacts’).

See ‘Deadlines’ for details of final closing dates.

Applicants will be given the opportunity to comment on referees' opinions before the relevant meeting.

Please note that although we aim to make the outcome of applications available as soon as possible after Committee meetings, results will not be announced until all Committee meetings in a round have been held. Decisions are thus dependent on the Committee schedule and some applicants will face a delay in hearing the outcome of their proposals. A possible delay should be taken into account in planning the timing of research projects.

Application advice

• You must provide details of the distinct contribution you will make to the research project during the period of research leave.
• The potential impact and importance of the biomedical resource should be clearly articulated.
• Those involved in the assessment of an application will need to be convinced that there is a genuine demand for the resource, and that it will meet that demand. Evidence of consultation with user groups (or potential user groups) should be provided.
• Consider whether similar collections exist elsewhere, and if so, will these be complemented by the proposed resource?
• The feasibility of the establishing the resource may be demonstrated by the inclusion of pilot data.
• Think about what quality standards will be applied to the resource. Has validation taken place and are quality control mechanisms adequate?
• Applicants applying to establish and/or maintain databases should be careful to address issues of interoperability.
• Consider, if appropriate, how the resource will be promoted/disseminated.
• You will need to demonstrate that the resource will be appropriately managed, and explain how requests for access will be prioritised.
• Where significant computer hardware is requested for a resource with an expected lifetime beyond the duration of the grant, you will need to demonstrate that the hardware configuration is optimal for cost-effective maintenance and renewal of the resource.
• Consider the plans for the resource at the conclusion of the proposed grant period - you will need to submit a convincing business plan to demonstrate sustainability.
• It is important to demonstrate that a sound plan for data management and sharing has been constructed.
• Try to negotiate discounts on the cost of the equipment from the outset, and quote discounted prices rather than list prices wherever possible. A copy of at least one formal quote will be expected for any piece of equipment with a list price of £100 000 or more.

Deadlines

This scheme is being discontinued. See Investigator Awards for more information.

The following closing dates for full applications apply:

Applications can continue to be submitted on a rolling basis before the closing date.

Applicants are advised that the Trust may take up to four weeks to assess a preliminary application before a full application can be invited.

Contacts

Enquiries may be directed to the appropriate stream, or by telephone to the Grants Management Helpdesk: +44 (0)20 7611 2020.

Immunology and Infectious Disease
E iid@wellcome.ac.uk

Populations and Public Health
E pph@wellcome.ac.uk

Neuroscience and Mental Health
E nmh@wellcome.ac.uk

Physiological Sciences
E phs@wellcome.ac.uk

Molecules, Genes and Cells
E mgc@wellcome.ac.uk

See Contact us for our postal address.