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• BRIC2: Apply for funding

Research and technology clubs:

BRIC2: Apply for funding

Second call full application deadline: 26 June 2012, 4pm

For more detailed information about the scope of this call, and the application and assessment process, please see the call text document in downloads.

Workshop

A launch workshop was held on 13 December 2011 in central London to explore the aims of the call, and to provide an opportunity for networking and identifying potential collaborations. Attendees were also able to participate in proposal surgery sessions to discuss their ideas with members of the assessment panel in confidence.

Summary

• The application process will have two stages
• Outline applications must be submitted initially
• After assessment by the BRIC Steering Group selected applicants who have submitted Outline applications will be invited to submit Full applications
• Funding can be for up to 5 years
• Total funding of up to £6M is available in this call to support a portfolio of projects at fEC (full economic costs)

Scope

Detailed guidance on the scope of the call and the research priority areas are detailed in the call text (see downloads).

Collaborative applications which bring together academic groups with relevant expertise in bioscience and engineering for the first time are encouraged. In addition, the BRIC Steering Group will identify research projects at the outline stage where there is previously unrecognised potential for collaboration.

Eligibility

Staff at lectureship level or above at UK Higher Education Institutions and their equivalents at Research Council institutes and Independent Research Organisations are eligible to apply.

Assessment criteria

The primary criteria for assessment are the strategic relevance to BRIC2 and the quality of science proposed.

It is expected that any proposal that goes on to be funded through BRIC2 will be competitive against comparable international work and will demonstrate alignment with the Club's aims.

The following criteria will be used to assess proposals for standard research grants:

• Strategic relevance to BRIC2
  All applications must be within the scope of the BRIC programme and ideally should address one or more of the Industrial Research Priorities. Applications will be assessed for relevance to industry. Preference will be given to applications that demonstrate strong industrial engagement and show a clear potential for translation into industry.
• Scientific excellence
  The extent to which the proposal meets the highest international standards of current research in its field. High performance against this factor will indicate a project of the highest standard, competitive with the best activity anywhere in the world, demonstrating originality and innovative potential
• Economic and social impact
  The extent to which the output of the research will contribute knowledge that shows direct potential for economic return or societal benefits to the UK
• Timeliness and promise
  The extent to which the proposal is particularly appropriate at the present time, or offers longer-term benefits over and above the direct value of the research
• Cost effectiveness
  The extent to which the resources requested, relative to the anticipated scientific gains, represent an attractive investment of BRIC funds
• Staff training potential of the project
  Where resources are requested for postdoctoral or other research staff, the extent to which the proposed project will provide research training and development opportunities of benefit both to the individual(s) employed, and to the wider science base beyond the completion of the specific project.

Special conditions

Recognising the financial support for the programme from industrial members of the Club, it should be noted that special conditions will be attached to any research grants from BRIC. A letter from the institution's technology transfer office or equivalent, acknowledging that the institution is able to accept those conditions relating to IP, will be requested at the full application stage. The conditions are as follows:

Early access

Commercial parties are entitled to early access to results from research funded by the Club. To ensure this grant holders must:

• Give at least 28 days notice of an intention to publish, outside of the Club, results from research funded by a Club grant
• The material for proposed publication should be submitted to us along with the notice of intent to publish
• We will ensure a copy is distributed to each of the commercial parties who shall have 14 days from receipt of such copy to inform the researcher if in their view the proposed publication may:
• Dilute or prejudice the value of proprietary information of a commercial party or
• Jeopardise the application for resulting IPR protection or
• Otherwise inhibit future exploitation of the results and whether a commercial party has an interest in exploiting those results
• Produce annual progress reports. The grant holder will be notified in advance when the final report will be due
• Attend and present the results, progress, and a final report of Club funded research at 6-monthly Club dissemination events. The grant holder will be notified of the dates and format of their presentation
• Give advance notification of any opportunities to exploit intellectual property arising from their grant to the commercial parties

Access to resulting IPR

Commercial parties are entitled, if they wish, to engage in good faith negotiations with the research organisation for terms of access to the resulting IPR to allow further development or commercial exploitation of results, such access rights preferably to include the right to sublicense.

This must be offered before access to resulting IPR can be offered to third parties outside the Club. An interested commercial party can exercise its option right by giving notice to the grant holder within one month of the date of receipt of notice of results or resulting IPR.

Good faith negotiations

Good faith negotiations would imply a willingness to reach agreement with commercial parties on the terms and conditions of a commercial licence, to desist from publishing the results or making offers to third parties while negotiation with commercial parties are ongoing and, if such agreement is not reached within a reasonable period (for example four months from the exercise of the option) that the research organisation would not seek to enter into negotiations with third parties on terms substantially more favourable to such third parties.

More information

For more detailed information read the BRIC 2/2 call text and guidance notes. The case for support form for outline proposals is available in the downloads section. For full stage applications the standard case for support form on Je-S will be used.

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