UKRI

Physical sciences NRF portfolio refresh (invite only)

The questions, word limits and assessment criteria below are the funder’s own, taken from the published competition material. You still submit through their service; this is where the writing happens first.

8 questions, straight from the funder

Their word limits are on every box, counted live as you type, and what the assessor is told to look for sits beside it. All of that is free. The pre-sift check — every mechanical rule that rejects a proposal before anyone reads it, run over what you have written — comes with the pass.

Application questions

Q1 Summary

0 / 550 words

In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application. We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example: opinion-formers policymakers the public the wider research community

Q2 Vision

0 / 3000 words

What are you hoping to achieve with the proposed infrastructure?

What the assessor looks for

  • be timely, given current trends and context
  • meet the evidenced needs of clearly identified user groups
  • have measurable impact
  • enable high quality and important research
  • meet the strategic aims of the funder or government
  • offer training opportunities
  • enhance, benefit and complement the existing landscape
  • support innovation in research
  • be of international importance
  • identify the potential local, regional or national impacts, both direct and indirect, and who the beneficiaries might be
  • enhance the UK’s research and innovation capabilities
  • evolve its capabilities, services, access arrangements and operational delivery

A filled dot only means your answer mentions that ground. It is not a judgement of how well.

Q3 Approach

0 / 4000 words

What are your plans to manage and deliver the proposed infrastructure?

What the assessor looks for

  • a credible management plan including strategic and operational matters
  • if applicable, a legal model
  • details of governance
  • identification of risks and appropriate mitigation in the form of key performance indicators (KPIs) to determine the delivery of outputs and outcomes
  • plans for support and maintenance of the proposed infrastructure over the estimated life span, identifying future needs and potential upgrades
  • training and development of staff and those who may interact with the infrastructure, including research technical professionals
  • a description of the working environment
  • identification of how accessibility and inclusiveness have been incorporated into the design of the project
  • plans for operational sustainability and legacy beyond the end of UKRI funding. These could include cost recovery models, securing additional funding
  • plans for operational delivery, including data management, training, responsible research and innovation, equality, diversity and inclusion, and environmental sustainability
  • plans for continuous improvement, including how improvements are identified, prioritised, implemented, evaluated and measured
  • representing what is needed to provide an optimal service, while demonstrating how you will plan, prioritise and maintain a minimum viable national service in the event of reduced funding

A filled dot only means your answer mentions that ground. It is not a judgement of how well.

Q4 Applicant and team capability to deliver

0 / 2000 words

+ 500 Why are you the right individual or team to deliver and manage the proposed infrastructure?

What the assessor looks for

  • the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage)
  • the right balance of skills and expertise
  • the appropriate leadership and management skills and your approach to develop others
  • contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community
  • contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge
  • the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships
  • contributions to the wider research and innovation community
  • contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit

A filled dot only means your answer mentions that ground. It is not a judgement of how well.

Q5 Resources and costs

0 / 2000 words

What will you need to deliver and manage the proposed infrastructure and how much will it cost?

What the assessor looks for

  • project staff
  • significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences)
  • any consumables beyond typical requirements, or that are required in exceptional quantities
  • all facilities and infrastructure costs
  • if applicable, disposal or decommissioning costs
  • all resources that have been costed as ‘Exceptions’
  • if applicable, subscription costs
  • are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified
  • represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
  • maximise potential outcomes and impacts

A filled dot only means your answer mentions that ground. It is not a judgement of how well.

Q6 Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

What are the ethical and RRI considerations, implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.

What the assessor looks for

  • the relevant ethical and RRI considerations, including both the research or topic area itself and the design and delivery of the project
  • the wider implications of the proposed work, and how you will maximise the positive societal, environmental, and economic benefits arising from the project, while minimising unintended negative impacts, such as research misuse or accidental harm
  • how you will manage these considerations throughout the lifecycle of the project

A filled dot only means your answer mentions that ground. It is not a judgement of how well.

Q7 Project partners: letters (or emails) of support

Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the Project partners section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.

What the assessor looks for

  • confirm the partner’s commitment to the project
  • clearly explain the value, relevance, and possible benefits of the work to them
  • describe any additional value that they bring to the project
  • have a page limit of two sides A4 per partner

A filled dot only means your answer mentions that ground. It is not a judgement of how well.

Q8 Data management and sharing

0 / 500 words

How will you manage and share data collected or acquired through the proposed research?

Saves as you type