What is a project grant?
A project grant is a research project which supports the development of new 3Rs approaches and technologies. Applications from any area of medical, biological or veterinary research are within remit; those that integrate a range of disciplines or include an industrial partner are particularly encouraged. The amount requested should be dependent on the science. Awards are for up to 36 months and funded at 80% of the full economic cost (FEC).
There is one competition per year and Panel meeting outcome reports and award rates for previous calls can be found here.
Key information about applying for a project grant is given below. Applicants should read the NC3Rs Applicant and Grant Holder Handbook, which contains more detailed information about the application process.
Key dates | Who can apply | How to apply | Assessment procedure | Related documents
Key dates
Please note that the NC3Rs Office will be closed from 18 December 2020 until 4 January 2021. Should you have any queries you are encouraged to contact the Office before 18 December. Any queries received within this period may receive a delayed response.
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17 November 2020 |
Outline application form available on Je-S |
| 4pm, 7 January 2021 | Deadline for submitting outline via Je-S |
| March 2021 | Outline assessment meeting |
| Mid-March 2021 | Applicants notified of outcome |
| March 2021 | Applicant workshop for those invited to submit full application |
| 4pm, 22 April 2021 | Full application deadline on Je-S |
| July 2021 | Panel meeting for full applications |
| End of July 2021 | Applicants notified of outcome |
| 1 August 2021 | Expected project start date |
| September 2021 | Grant holder introductory meeting |
| 30 September 2021 | Last date for commencing projects |
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Who can apply?
Establishment eligibility |
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Any UK research establishment including:
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Individual eligibility |
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Applicants should be UK-based researchers who can demonstrate that they:
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Overseas researchers
Overseas researchers cannot be Primary Investigators but can be included as collaborators. Overseas co-applicant status can be obtained in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the NC3Rs; approval must be sought before applying.
Resubmissions
The NC3Rs does not allow resubmission of previously unsuccessful proposals, unless explicitly invited by the Panel. Proposals previously declined by the NC3Rs will not be considered by another Research Council or funder within 12 months (from the date of submission to the original Research Council) unless substantially revised. More information can be found in the NC3Rs Applicant and Grant Holder Handbook.
Please note: The same or similar application cannot be considered by any other Research Council, the Health Departments or any other research funder at the same time
How to apply
We use the Research Councils' joint electronic submission system (Je-S) and applications are processed by the UKRI Shared Business Services.
Applicants are advised to read and refer to the NC3Rs Applicant and Grant Holder Handbook, which contains more detailed information on submitting both an outline and full application.
Formal outlines and full applications received after 4pm on the deadline date will not be considered, without exception.
Applicants submitting under the highlight notice, should note this within the ‘Objectives’ and the ‘Case for Support’ sections of both their outline and, if invited, full applications.
Outline stage
Before submitting a full application applicants are required to submit a formal outline of their research proposal via Je-S. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact 3Rsgrants@nc3rs.org.uk before submitting an outline via Je-S to determine whether the proposed research fits the 3Rs remit. Outline applications that do not fit this remit will be rejected at an early stage.
Important points to note at outline stage:
- The maximum length of the case for support is two sides of A4
- Applicants are required to provide metrics regarding the potential 3Rs impact of their research as part of their outline proposal, please see Section 4.1 of the NC3Rs Applicant and Grant Holder handbook for further information
Submitting a full application
Successful outline applicants are invited to submit a full proposal via Je-S. A workshop for those submitting full applications will be held in central London.
If you experience difficulties using Je-S or have questions regarding its use, contact the Je-S helpdesk.
Email: jeshelp@je-s.ukri.org Phone: +44 (0) 1793 44 4164
Assessment procedure
Proposals are assessed in a two stage process.
- Outline proposals are reviewed by the NC3Rs Grant Assessment Panel. Successful outline applicants are invited to submit a full application.
- Full applications are evaluated by international peer review and assessed by the NC3Rs Grant Assessment Panel .
The following criteria are taken into consideration when making the funding decisions:
- Potential impact on the 3Rs
- Quality of the science
- Current or future importance of the proposal to medical, biological or veterinary research
- Strategy for promoting the proposed research and 3Rs outcomes within the scientific community
- Expertise and track record of the team
- Value for money
- Strategic relevance to the highlight notice (where appropriate)
In order to maintain the transparency and integrity of the peer review process we have adopted the MRC policy on peer review. Please note the Referee and Panel assessment guidance and scoring criteria below.
Related documents
Application process
- NC3Rs Applicant and Grant Holder Handbook
- MRC Guidance for Applicants and Award Holders
- Project grant outline application - common errors
- Project grant full application - common errors