International Travel Award Scheme for the Biological Sciences

- Funders: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) - Funding type: Grant - Opening date: 2025-10-21

Last updated: 21 October 2025 - see all updates

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Apply for funding to visit international partners, to initiate collaborations, prepare joint funding proposals, visit overseas facilities or attend European consortia-building events.

You must be an existing BBSRC-supported researcher in order to apply for funding.

Funding of up to £3,000 (100% full economic cost) is available and limited to travel and subsistence costs for a single visit.

Stays may be of up to one month in duration and you must submit your application at least six weeks before you travel.

Who can apply

Before applying for funding, check the Eligibility of your organisation.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new UKRI Funding Service.

For full details, visit Eligibility as an individual.

Who is eligible to apply

You can apply for support if you:

- are a holder of a current BBSRC research grant

- are a researcher in a BBSRC strategically supported institute working on projects supported through the Institute Core Grant Awards (for example, Institute Strategic Programme Grants, Core Capability Grants, National Bioscience Research Infrastructures)

- meet standard BBSRC eligibility rules

The application must be made by a principal investigator, but the principal investigator does not have to be the one travelling. If you have questions about the eligibility of UK applicants, email: bbsrc.iru@bbsrc.ukri.org

You can only apply after your BBSRC grant has started, and there must be at least six months remaining on your project from the start of the international travel award.

Who is not eligible to apply

- Students are not eligible to apply

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

- career breaks

- support for people with caring responsibilities

- flexible working

- alternative working patterns

Find out more about equality, diversity and inclusion at UKRI.

What we're looking for

Scope

Our international travel awards support:

- short-term travel for initial contacts with international partners to discuss or prepare proposals for international programmes

- up to one month visiting specific facilities not available in the UK, undertaking a piece of work, or gaining access to techniques or materials of benefit to your BBSRC research project or team

- attendance at European consortia-building events to discuss a future role in it

Duration

Visits supported through international travel awards should be a single visit, for up to one month duration.

Funding available

The Full Economic Cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £3,000.

The International Travel Award Scheme costings will be funded at 100% FEC. Please include a breakdown of the requested costs under ‘exceptions’, in the justification of resources on the Funding Service.

What we will fund

Funding is limited to travel and subsistence costs of up to £3,000 for individuals based in UK research institutions to travel overseas.

What we will not fund

Funding cannot be used for:

- salary costs

- consumables

- equipment

- research costs

- conference attendance

- travel expenses for individuals outside a UK research organisation

Supporting skills and talent

We encourage you to follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I Principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.

As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.

See further guidance and information about TR&I, including where you can find additional support.

How to apply

We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service, so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.

The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members to contribute to the application.

Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.

To apply

Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page:

- Confirm you are the project lead.

- Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password.

- Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.

- Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.

- Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.

- Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.

Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant:

- use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words

- insert each new image onto a new line

- provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)

- files must be smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Watch our research office webinars about the new Funding Service.

For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:

- how applicants use the Funding Service

- how research offices use the Funding Service

- how reviewers use the Funding Service

References

Applications should be self-contained, and hyperlinks should only be used to provide links directly to reference information. To ensure the information’s integrity is maintained, where possible, persistent identifiers such as digital object identifiers should be used. Assessors are not required to access links to carry out assessment or recommend a funding decision. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.

References should be included in the appropriate question section of the application and be easily identifiable by the assessors for example (Smith, Research Paper, 2019).

You must not include links to web resources to extend your application.

Deadline

You must submit your application at least six weeks before you intend to travel. All applications must be received by 21 April 2027 at 4:00pm UK time.

You will not be able to apply after this time.

Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.

Following the submission of your application to the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.

Personal data

Processing personal data

BBSRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.

We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.

Publication of outcomes

If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.

Summary

Word limit: 550

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

Guidance for writing a summary

Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:

- context

- aims and objectives of the project

- the benefits likely to be gained from the collaboration

- how the collaboration will be taken forward after the funding has ended

Core team

List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:

- project lead (PL)

- project co-lead (UK) (PcL)

- specialist

- technician

- researcher co-lead (RcL)

Only list one individual as project lead.

The project lead should be the named individual on an existing BBSRC research grant. This individual does not need to be the one travelling.

Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.

Application questions

Purpose

Word limit: 2500

Why is the travel needed?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain why the proposed travel is necessary, including reference to:

- the value added to current or future UK bioscience by developing international contacts

- the benefits likely to be gained from the collaboration

- why travel needs to happen at this time

- why the place you are travelling to is the best place to go to, in terms of people, skills and resources

- why you / a team member are the best person to carry out this visit

- a plan for how the collaboration will be taken forward after the funding has ended

- the strategic relevance and reach of the collaboration – to what extent will it benefit more than one group?

Resources and cost justification

Word limit: 500

What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular:

- travel costs

- subsistence costs

- contributions from the international partner in cash or in-kind

The International Travel Award Scheme costings will be funded at 100% FEC. Please include a breakdown of the requested costs under ‘exceptions’, in the justification of resources on the Funding Service.

Please note, this award cannot be used to fund salary, consumables, equipment or other research costs.

Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources. Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work:

- are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified

- represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes

- maximise potential outcomes and impacts

Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

Word limit: 500

What are the ethical or RRI 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 assessors are looking for in your response

Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:

- the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations

- how you will manage these considerations

If you are collecting or using data you should identify:

- any legal and ethical considerations of collecting, releasing or storing the data (including consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security and other ethical considerations and, in particular, strategies to not preclude further reuse of data)

- formal information standards that your proposed work will comply with

Additional sub-questions (to be answered only if appropriate) relating to research involving:

- animals

- human participants

- genetically modified organisms

Genetic and biological risk

Word limit: 700

Does your proposed research involve any genetic or biological risk?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

In respect of animals, plants or microbes, are you proposing to:

- use genetic modification as an experimental tool, like studying gene function in a genetically modified organism

- release genetically modified organisms

- ultimately develop commercial and industrial genetically modified outcomes

If yes, provide the name of any required approving body and state if approval is already in place. If it is not, provide an indicative timeframe for obtaining the required approval.

Identify the organism or organisms as a plant, animal or microbe and specify the species and which of the three categories the research relates to.

Identify the genetic and biological risks resulting from the proposed research, their implications, and any mitigation you plan on taking. Assessors will want to know you have considered the risks and their implications to justify that any identified risks do not outweigh any benefits of the proposed research.

If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Research involving the use of animals

Does your proposed research involve the use of vertebrate animals or other organisms covered by the Animals Scientific Procedures Act?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you are proposing research that requires using animals, download and complete the Animals Scientific Procedures Act template (DOCX, 74KB), which contains all the questions relating to research using vertebrate animals or other Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulated organisms.

Save it as a PDF. The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Conducting research with animals overseas

Word limit: 700

Will any of the proposed animal research be conducted overseas?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you are proposing to conduct overseas research, it must be conducted in accordance with welfare standards consistent with those in the UK, as in Responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research, page 14. Ensure all named applicants in the UK and overseas are aware of this requirement.

If your application proposes animal research to be conducted overseas, you must provide a statement in the text box. Depending on the species involved, you may also need to upload a completed template for each species listed.

Statement

Provide a statement to confirm that:

- all named applicants are aware of the requirements and have agreed to abide by them

- this overseas research will be conducted in accordance with welfare standards consistent with the principles of UK legislation

- the expectation set out in Responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research will be applied and maintained

- appropriate national and institutional approvals are in place

Templates

Overseas studies proposing to use non-human primates, cats, dogs, equines or pigs will be assessed during NC3Rs review of research applications. Provide the required information by completing the template from the question ‘Research involving the use of animals’.

For studies involving other species, select, download, and complete the relevant Word checklist or checklists from this list:

- Additional questions on the use of rodents overseas (DOCX, 49.1KB)

- Additional questions on the use of rabbits overseas (DOCX, 49.2KB)

- Additional questions on the use of sheep overseas (DOCX, 50.9KB)

- Additional questions on the use of goats overseas (DOCX, 47.3KB)

- Additional questions on the use of pigs overseas (DOCX, 51.4KB)

- Additional questions on the use of cattle overseas (DOCX, 57.0KB)

- Additional questions on the use of Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis overseas (DOCX, 57.3KB)

Save your completed template as a PDF and upload to the Funding Service. If you use more than one checklist template, save it as a single PDF.

The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.

If conducting research with animals overseas does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Your organisation’s support

Word limit: 500

Provide details of support from your research organisation and how international travel will add value to an existing BBSRC research grant.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide a Statement of Support from your research organisation detailing why the proposed work is needed. This should include details of any matched funding that will be provided to support the activity and any additional support that might add value to the work.

The committee will be looking for a strong statement of commitment from your research organisation.

BBSRC recognises that in some instances, this information may be provided by the Research Office, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) or equivalent, or a combination of both.

You must also include the following details:

- a significant person’s name and their position, from the TTO or Research Office, or both

- office address or web link

Upload details are provided within the Funding Service on the actual application.

Project partners

Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.

A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct (cash) or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time or use of facilities. Project partners may be in industry, academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU.

Add the following project partner details:

- the organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)

- the project partner contact name and email address

- the type of contribution (direct or in-direct) and its monetary value

If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.

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 Partner section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box. Each letter or email you provide should:

- 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

- the page limit is one side of A4 per partner

The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.

Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the project partners’ section.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

Word limit: 100

Does the proposed work involve international collaboration in a sensitive research or technology area?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Demonstrate how your proposed international collaboration relates to Trusted Research and Innovation, including:

- list the countries your project partners, or other collaborators are based in

- explain whether this project is relevant to one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act

- if one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act are involved list the areas

We may ask you to provide additional information about how your proposed project will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help manage these risks.

How we will assess your application

Assessment process

We will assess your application using the following process.

Peer review

We will invite experts from within BBSRC to review your application independently, against the specified criteria for this funding opportunity.

Timescale

You can only apply after your BBSRC grant has started, and there must be at least six months remaining on your project from the start of the international travel award.

You must apply at least six weeks before you travel.

Principles of assessment

We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.

Find out about the UKRI principles of assessment and decision-making.

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

- Purpose

- Your organisation’s support

- Project Partners: Letters of Support

Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the ‘Application questions’ heading in the ‘How to apply’ section.