BBSRC Pioneer Awards 2025-6 stage 1 – deadline 19 Nov 2025

Registration deadline (stage 1): 19 Nov 2025 16:00 UK

BBSRC’s Pioneer Awards provide funding to pursue early-stage bioscience discovery research.

Applications should open novel adventurous research avenues with the potential to transform the fundamental understanding of living systems.

Projects must:

• be early-stage fundamental bioscience lacking preliminary data
• explore visionary and untested ideas
• have the potential to open new research paradigms in the longer-term

Applicants must be eligible for BBSRC funding.  The first stage of the application is mandatory registration.  The purpose of the registration is to ensure proposals are appropriately targeted to this funding opportunity and to provide BBSRC with an early indication of the level of demand, team composition, and research areas.

Projects can last up to two years (three in exceptional circumstances). The full economic cost (FEC) of a project can be up to £350k. BBSRC will fund 80% FEC (i.e.  £280k). The link for full applications will be available from 20 Nov 2025 with a closing date of 25 Feb 2026.