This document provides the answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) relating to the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) competition 2021/2022, and is intended to supplement the guidance document BRC Application Guidance.
FAQs can no longer be submitted. However, technical RMS queries can be raised via ccf-infrastructure-team@nihr.ac.uk until competition close.
Date: 12 October 2021
Version: 11
FAQs version 1
Themes
1. Can the Theme case studies be examples that were conducted by an individual while based in another organisation outside of the partnership?
Applicants are expected to use their judgement on content of the application form. The case studies are intended to provide an indication of the strength of the early translational and experimental medicine research undertaken by the NHS/University partnership and by the researchers that will support that Theme.
2. The guidance notes state that the case studies should be presented as (max) 400 words or an A4 infographic. If using an infographic can text be embedded within it?
Yes, the A4 infographic can have text embedded within it.
3. Can images be added to the text of the case studies?
The text boxes on the case studies in RMS have an option to add images. Images added should not include additional wording, although a simple heading or graph axis label is allowed.
Finance/Funding
4. What NHS Support costs are BRCs expected to meet?
NIHR BRC awards will fund the NHS Support Costs of early translational and experimental medicine research that are integral within the proposed NIHR BRC’s work programme, and these costs should be included in the application.
The NIHR BRC award should be used to meet the NHS support costs for single centre BRC-led research studies, including investigator-initiated or industry-collaborative research, that is are conducted in a formal site of the host NHS organisation, or on a site formally subcontracted by the host NHS organisation for the purposes of the NIHR BRC.
Please refer to Annex 1 of the full application guidance and the ‘Attributing costs of health and social care Research and Development (AcoRD) guidance for further information.’
Publications
5. Does the use of the term “primary” in “primary publications” mean that these publications are to evidence the basic work, or should the publications illustrate the translational pathway?
The term primary refers to the primary, or principle, publication from a specific study. We would expect that these publications cover early translational and experimental medicine research and should not be basic/discovery research.
Stage 1 application
6. Will the Stage 1 application be available to reviewers at Stage 2?
No, the Stage 1 application will not be available to reviewers at Stage 2. Applicants should therefore consider the Stage 2 application as standalone.
Theme Leads
7. Can Theme Leads be added at Stage 2?
We encouraged applicants to identify co-Theme leads at Stage 1 (Please note this was published as Stage 1 FAQ number 26), but they can be added at Stage 2 if needed.
FAQs added following publication of version 2
NIHR National Biosample Centre
8. What is the advantage to the BRCs of using the NIHR National Biosample Centre?
The NIHR National Biosample Centre was established to provide high throughput and high quality biosample processing, storage and retrieval services to support research supported by NIHR and other funders. By bringing together expertise on sample collection, storage and analysis, it seeks to achieve economies of scale, identify efficiencies within studies, manages risk, ensures quality standards and protects the valuable research samples. It therefore directly improves the quality and efficiency of research, supporting researchers to get advances from research to the patients and the health and care service as quickly as possible.
Review Process
9. Will the same Committee review the stage 1 and stage 2 proposals?
Yes. The membership of the International Selection Committee will be published after the closing date for submission of Stage 2 applications.
RMS Function
10. How can a supporting diagram be uploaded in the Strategy and Strategic delivery plan section of the application?
There is an 'embed image' option within the text box where a diagram can be added.
Themes
11. Please could you explain what information is expected in the Theme section, question 4.2 last bullet point 'how the NIHR BRC award will enable the NHS/university partnership to strengthen existing capacity and critical mass and &etc.'?
We have updated the original text against this bullet point to provide further clarity. The guidance and application form have been updated and the bullet point prompt now reads 'how the NIHR BRC award will enable the NHS/university partnership to build on its existing capacity and critical mass as scientific knowledge and approaches in the area evolve in order to ensure the theme remains internationally competitive over the course of the award.'
12. Is there a minimum or maximum number of SMART objectives that can be entered for each Theme?
We have not set any limits on the number of objectives for each Theme, but would expect at least one short, one medium and one long term objective. It is for applicants to decide on the objectives that they think supports their ambition for the theme and that they expect to be able to evidence progress against.
13. Are references for up to 3 primary publications requested for the Theme case studies included in the 400 word count?
Yes, the references will be counted within the 400 word limit.
FAQs added following publication of version 3
Finance
14. Can finance data be exported from the RMS form?
No, there is not an export function for the finance data.
15. Is there a cap on Year 1 costs?
There is no cap on Year 1 costs, however, we would expect new partnerships to phase first year expenditure to take into account the time to set-up work programmes and to recruit to roles. Phasing should be realistic and it is expected that during the first year costs will be approximately 50% of forecast expenditure of a fully operational BRC. We would expect a new BRC to be fully operational 12 months after the start of the award.
There is no set requirement to phase funding for new Themes. However, phasing should be realistic, taking into account any time required for the NHS/university partnership to set up their work programme and recruit to new roles.
16. Will NIHR be applying indexation at the award stage?
Applications should be costed at current (2021/22) prices, based on current salary scales and scale increments. Annual salary increments or other equivalent annual increases should be included in future years but not any other anticipated pay increases (e.g. nationally agreed pay awards). Do not include estimated uplift(s) for inflation. Should an award be made, annual uplifts may be provided, depending upon the budget available to NIHR.
Translational Research Collaborations
17. Will TRC programme manager roles be covered by NIHR?
NIHR will provide up to £50K per annum funding per NIHR TRC to support a Collaboration Manager post to coordinate activities. The expectation is that any additional resources to support these posts, if needed, are provided from the NHS/university partnerships contributing to the TRC (drawn from the proposed NIHR BRC award and/or other resources available to the partnership).
Case Studies
18. What is the difference between the overarching case studies in the "Strategy and Strategic Delivery Plan" section, and those in the Theme section?
Applicants should select the case studies that they think best support their application.
All case studies will be reviewed by both lay and expert members of the International Selection Committee, so should be written in plain English, with technical terms explained.
In addition, the Theme case studies will be reviewed by lay and expert peer reviewers. Please note that peer reviewers will be provided with the Themes section of the application alone, and will not have access to the rest of the application. The Theme case studies should include references, where appropriate, and can either be an infographic or a 400 word summary.
19. Is it possible to include A4 infographics for the BRC case studies?
No, please submit the case studies requested in the "Strategy and Strategic Delivery Plan" section as plain English text.
20. Should references be included for the 3 case studies included in the "Strategy and Strategic Delivery Plan" section?
There is no requirement to include references in this section. NHS/university partnerships should provide information that they deem relevant in support of their application. Any references added will be included in the word count.
21. Can the overarching case studies included in the "Strategy and Strategic Delivery Plan" section also be used to support a Theme?
Yes, overarching case studies included in the "Strategy and Strategic Delivery Plan" section can be used to support a Theme.
However, please note that peer reviewers will be provided with the Themes section of the application alone, and will not have access to the rest of the application. Therefore the case study must also be included as one of the (up to) 3 case studies in the appropriate Theme section.
RMS Function
22. Is it possible for multiple people to enter data to RMS at the same time within each BRC?
Yes it is possible for multiple people to key data into RMS at the same time. However, care should be taken not to edit the same section concurrently. RMS will give a warning when this is attempted.
23. Can data be amended once it has been entered into RMS?
Yes, data entered into the RMS can be amended up until the submission date.
Review Process
24. Can you provide more details about the peer review process and whether any additional data will be included in that peer review?
Peer review will be based on the content of the Theme section of the application. Peer reviewers will not take into consideration the rest of the application, or any additional data.
The scientific peer review will consider the strength of the proposed experimental medicine and early translational research outlined and expertise of the Theme Lead(s) and key contributing researchers.
The public peer reviewers will consider the case studies presented, and review them on the basis of their use of Plain English, as well as the potential benefit to patients and the public and any evidence of public involvement in design and governance of the research.
Partnerships
25. Can you detail the links to UK data and health informatics platforms that should be included in the application?
It is for NHS/university partnerships to determine how to describe links that the partnership has to existing UK data and health informatics capability platforms that they feel will support their application.
26. In Section 4.4 is the expectation to include details about strategic partnerships with other NHS/universities in addition to the proposed additional partners?
No, Section 4.4 should outline details of how the additional partners as listed in section 1 (universities or NHS organisations) will contribute to the Theme. Details of other strategic partnerships with other NHS organisations or universities not listed as formal partners of the proposed BRC can be provided in Section 6.1.
27. In Section 6.1 applicants are asked to ‘outline the strength of the existing strategic partnerships between the NHS and university partnership and other collaborating NHS/university collaborators highlighted in the application’. Please could you clarify which partnerships should be included in this section?
Applicants should provide the information that they consider best supports their application. This should describe the strength of the existing partnership between the NHS organisation and lead university and, where applicable, the additional partners named in section 1 as well as other strategic NHS/University partners that will support the work of the proposed BRC.
28. Can NHS/university partnerships not currently involved in the NIHR BioResource participate in the next contractual period and will they receive any additional resource for doing so?
The existing designation and funding for the current NIHR BioResource Centres will continue until 1 December 2024; subject to successful NIHR BRC and/or CRF designation for these existing centres. Any additional NHS/university partnerships who would like to participate in the NIHR BioResource from the start of the next contractual period (1 December 2022) will need to indicate this in the Stage 2 application. Participating NHS/university partnerships will be expected to as appropriate integrate existing cohorts, support recruitment into the NIHR BioResource and align to the operating principles.
Separate, dedicated funding for activities within the NIHR BioResource will be available to designated NIHR BRCs who indicate they wish to participate in NIHR BioResource following the confirmation of NIHR BRC designation and funding. However, each participating NHS/university partnership will be expected to provide some resources (drawn from the proposed NIHR BRC award and/or other resources available to the partnership) that will support their contribution to the NIHR Bioresource.
Detailed proposals for the NIHR BioResource beyond December 2024 will be provided at a later date.
29. Is the NIHR supportive of NIHR BRCs working with Our Future Health?
NIHR is supportive of the aspirations of Our Future Health and designated NIHR BRCs are welcome to support the work of Our Future Health noting that NIHR BRC funding can only be used to meet the research costs of early translational and experimental medicine studies directly (up to the equivalent of Phase II) in human participants or human tissues in order to identify fundamental mechanisms of pathophysiology or disease, or to demonstrate proof-of-concept or the validity of new experimental designs or approaches. The expectation is that other sources of public, charity and/or industry funding will be found for later phase clinical research (for example later than phase IIb).
FAQs added following publication of version 4
Additional Partners
30. Can additional partners be added at Stage 2?
No, all additional partners (NHS organisations or universities) should have been listed in the Stage 1 application. However, the additional partners can be edited to allow applicants to remove any ineligible partners (e.g. not NHS organisations or HEIs) that were included in Stage 1. Applicants who included ineligible partners at Stage 1 have been informed directly by NIHR.
31. Which organisations should provide letters of support?
We require letters of support from all additional partners named in Section 1.
Application Approvals
32. When should Theme leads confirm/approve the application?
Theme leads can confirm/approve the application at any point.
33. Who needs to sign off the application?
The following will need to approve the application in order for the application to be submitted
- Chief Finance Officer of the Host NHS organisation
- Authorised signatory for the Host NHS organisation
- Authorised signatory for the partner university
Assessment Process
34. Will bibliometric and other information be assessed at Stage 2?
The international selection committee will consider the information provided by applicants in the application form, peer review of each Theme and the interviews to make recommendations to DHSC on NIHR BRC designation and funding on the basis of the published selection criteria. The committee will not be provided with additional data at Stage 2.
Finance
35. Could you provide a template for the Finance form?
Yes, a downloadable template can be found within the Finance tab of the "NIHR BRC Theme Details & Financial Plans" section on the RMS. Please note that all finances must be added to the application via the RMS Finance form. This template will not be accepted as part of your submission. Please leave sufficient time to complete the Finance forms.
36. Should we profile spend in financial years or project years?
Finances should be added as project years i.e. from 1 December - 30 November.
37. Will successful BRCs receive the total Year 1 amount in December 2022?
The payment schedule for successful applicants will be released in financial years; reporting (i.e. ASTOX) will also be in financial years.
For the purposes of the application the RMS form should be completed in project years (1 December - 30 November).
38. Please can you advise under what circumstances the ‘Rate’ should be adjusted downwards from 100%?
It is for applicants to decide the rates it wishes to apply for that will be charged to the Award.
Each data input section of the financial plan has a ‘Rates’ column, which can be adjusted down from 100%. Costs entered will be calculated against the ‘Rates’ column to give the actual cost charged to the Award.
39. How should Directly Allocated academic time be costed into the application?
The NIHR does not separate staff costs down into Directly Incurred or Directly Allocated (DA). All staff costs including those which would be classified as DA staff should be listed under the Staff Cost section. Please use estimate salaries and FTE when entering costs for DA staff.
40. Can we include Staff Costs from other 3rd party organisations in the financial plan?
Staff Posts and Salaries and Annual Costs of Staff Posts for staff who are working on early translational and experimental medicine research in the NHS can be supported by the NIHR BRC award.
The NIHR BRC award will reimburse the time of staff engaged in early translational and experimental medicine research undertaken within the NIHR BRC’s work programme. Salaries may be sought for core NIHR BRC, research, research support or other staff (from all professional groups), and research trainees (e.g. MPhil, MD, PhD students), required to work full or part-time on the NIHR BRC’s research programme.
In order to support a critical mass of people, the expectation is that any newly established posts created with funding from this scheme will be employed by the NHS. Where justified, where there is agreement, it is permissible for staff to be employed by the university partner or other university collaborators named on the application, provided this does not attract additional employment costs (i.e. the cost of employer's contributions will be met, but the posts will not attract Full Economic Costs in the University).
41. Is it possible to import finance figures into the RMS finance form?
There is currently no functionality to import finances into the form via a spreadsheet.
42. Should PhD studentship costs be included in the Core finance section, or the Theme finance section?
If a PhD studentship is associated with a specific theme, the costs should be included in the relevant Theme. Otherwise PhD studentship costs can be included, with justification, in the Core Theme.
Infographics/Supporting Diagrams
43. Please clarify in which sections infographics and/or supporting diagrams can be used.
Infographics can be used for Theme case studies alone.
Most text boxes on the RMS have an option to add images. Images added should not include additional wording, although a simple heading or graph axis label is permitted.
Themes/Theme Leads
44. What information will be pulled through from the RMS CVs for Theme leads and Directors?
Outputs, publications and other information will not be pulled through from the CVs to the Stage 2 application. However, ORCID IDs will be visible to reviewers, and therefore it is recommended that ORCID records are kept up to date for Theme leads and Directors.
45. Should Theme lead details be included in the "Key contributing researchers who will add quality and depth to the proposed Theme" section of the application form?
Yes, Theme lead details, relevant to your application, should be included in this section.
46. How many researchers can be identified for each theme and should be named with supporting bibliometric/output information provided for each of them?
There are no limits on the number of researchers that can be identified for each theme, proposed partnerships may provide supporting information for each researcher in support of their application within the word limit.
Other
47. When will the first annual report be due?
The annual reporting process is yet to be confirmed. However, we anticipate that the first annual report will cover 1 December 2022- 31 March 2023.
FAQs added following publication of version of 5
Application Approvals
48. Do both co-Theme leads need to approve the application before it can be submitted?
No, only one Theme lead (the researcher that is named in the first box on the RMS for each Theme) needs to approve the Theme in RMS. This is to minimise the number of approvals required for the application. However, we would expect that applicants have ensured that, where there are co-Theme Leads, both individuals have reviewed and are content with the information being submitted.
Case Studies
49. Can hyperlinks be included in theme case studies?
No. The International Selection Committee will consider the information provided in the full application to make recommendations to DHSC on designation and funding. You should ensure your application is stand alone and contains sufficient detail to inform the Committee's review. The Committee will not refer to additional information published online in making their recommendations.
Finance
50. How should the recently confirmed national pay awards for 2021/22 for both university and NHS staff be dealt with within the application?
Applications should be costed at current (2021/22) prices, based on current salary scales and scale increments. Annual salary increments or other equivalent annual increases should be included in future years but not any other anticipated pay increases (e.g. nationally agreed pay awards). Do not include estimated uplift(s) for inflation.
51. Subject to available budget, is it anticipated that NIHR will make additional funding available to meet inflationary pay awards for both NHS and university academic partners in future years, above any funding awarded?
Applications should be costed at current (2021/22) prices, based on current salary scales and scale increments. Annual salary increments or other equivalent annual increases should be included in future years but not any other anticipated pay increases (e.g. nationally agreed pay awards). Do not include estimated uplift(s) for inflation. Should an award be made, annual uplifts may be provided, depending upon the budget available to NIHR.
Other
52. Can we add letters of support from organisations other than the additional partners named in Section 1.
No, we only require letters of support from the additional partners named in section 1.
53. When is the last date for FAQs to be submitted?
The cut off date is 1pm on Wednesday 6 October 2021.
FAQs added following publication of version 6
Theme Leads
54. Can Theme leads delegate the keying in of Theme financial detail?
Yes this can be done by adding the individual to the application, and then removing them before the application is submitted.
Case Studies
55. Can any infographics we include in the application include additional wording?
Yes, infographics can contain additional wording. However, please note that infographics can only be uploaded as Theme case studies.
56. Can the DOI number be included in the case study references?
The DOI number can be included, although applicants should not assume reviewers will access any external sources.
Finance
57. Is a justification required for a budget variance between the stage 1 and stage 2 applications?
It is not necessary to justify any variance in costs from the Stage 1 application. However, the overall financial request should not exceed the amount communicated to applicants in their outcome letter.
Additional Partners
58. Who should the Letter of Support from any additional partners be addressed to?
The Letters of Support can be addressed to the proposed NIHR BRC Director(s).
59. Please could you confirm the definition of a 'formal additional partner(s)'?
Additional partners are those organisations that will be recognised formally as part of the proposed NIHR BRC, alongside the lead NHS/University partnership, and will receive BRC designation and funding via the award. This should include the additional Higher Education Institutions or NHS organisations identified in the application and appointed as responsible for delivery of the NIHR BRC work programme under the terms that will be set out in the contract.
60. We anticipate working with a number of academic collaborators who will not be included as formal additional partners in the BRC application, where is the best place to describe these within the application form?
It is not necessary to provide a comprehensive list of all institutions that the BRC may collaborate with, noting that this may evolve/change during the course of the award. Applicants may choose to include examples of key collaborators within the description of their Theme strategies if these are known. Applicants should describe their overall strategic approach to developing and collaborations in Section 6. Section 4.4 should only include details of strategic partnerships with any formal additional partners.
FAQs added following publication of version 7
Additional partners/Letters of endorsement
61. Who should sign the letter of endorsement for each additional partner organisation?
The letter of endorsement should be signed by a representative of the partner organisation with the appropriate authority.
62. Is there any guidance you can provide on what you would like to see included in the letters of endorsement from BRC partner organisations?
Endorsements should confirm that the partner commits to contributing to the BRC as described in the application form.
63. Do we need to have every partner from every theme listed in Section 1 with a supporting letter to accompany the application?
Additional partners are those organisations that will be recognised formally as part of the proposed NIHR BRC, alongside the lead NHS/university partnership, and will receive BRC designation and funding via the award. This should include the additional Higher Education Institutions or NHS organisations identified in the application and appointed as responsible for delivery of the NIHR BRC work programme under the terms that will be set out in the contract. Applicants will need to provide letters of endorsement from each additional partner.
Co-Applicants
64. Is it possible to add a patient co-applicant to the application, and if so, where on the RMS form can we do this?
Co-applicants are limited to Theme leads. Theme Leads are individuals named on the application who are accountable to the Director and DHSC for the delivery of the work programme for a particular Theme. Public contributor details can be added to the "Key contributing researchers..." text box in the Themes section if wanted.
Conflicts of Interest
65. As part of COI declaration form, are you required to declare any conflicts or potential conflicts of interest that you or your co-applicants may have in undertaking this research, including any relevant personal, non-personal and commercial interest that could be perceived as a conflict of interest?
Applicants should declare any relevant conflicts of interest, including those of the Director(s), Theme leads or named researchers. This would apply to all institutions listed as applicants or co-applicants.
Deputy Theme Leads
66. How can Deputy Theme Leads be added on the RMS?
Deputy Theme lead details can be added in the "Key contributing researchers..." text box in the Themes section.
Finance
67. How should the recently announced National Insurance increase be costed into the BRC application?
Applications should be costed at current (2021/22) prices, based on current salary scales and scale increments. Annual salary increments or other equivalent annual increases should be included in future years but not any other anticipated pay increases (e.g. nationally agreed pay awards). Do not include estimated uplift(s) for inflation.
68. Can travel and Open Access costs be listed under Core themes to ensure more equitable use of funds?
If Open Access costs, or travel costs, are associated with a specific Theme, the costs should be included in the relevant Theme. Otherwise costs can be included in the Core Theme.
69. Please confirm if a SoECAT form is required for the application.
No. A SoECAT form is not required for the application. SoECAT is a tool for use with non-commercial research studies and is not applicable for NIHR research infrastructure awards.
PhD Students/Stipends
70. How should PhD stipends, particularly for those commencing later in the award period, be costed in the BRC application?
Annual Costs of Staff Posts Applications should be costed at current (2021/22) prices, based on current salary scales and scale increments. For the research trainees (e.g. MPhil, MD, PhD students) costs include the value of the stipend in the salary. The costs of the tuition fees should be included in the Other Direct Cost section.
71. Are we able to recruit PhD students if the end date will be after the end of the BRC award?
NHS/university partnerships are able to recruit new PhD students at any point during the course of the award . However, the contractual period this round of NIHR BRC funding does not extend beyond 30 November 2027. Therefore NHS/university partnerships will need to ensure that the costs of these PhDs can be supported beyond the contractual period through other resources available to the partnership.
RMS
72. Please could you clarify the word limit for the financial supporting information for the application on RMS?
The limit is 500 words per text box.
73. In the strategy section, it says that we can upload one supporting diagram to explain the relationship between the Themes. Can we add additional diagrams to illustrate some of the other questions asked in that section?
Most text boxes on the RMS have an option to add images. Images added should not include additional wording, although a simple heading or graph axis label is permitted.
74. A member of our Trust finance team will be completing the finance data entry into the RMS section prior to submission. What role should they be given in RMS in order to do this?
The team member should be added to the form in one of the main contact type slots (e.g as a theme lead). This will give access to view and edit the application. Before submission, remove them from the application so their name does not appear in the form.
75. Do Theme Infographics need to be in portrait or landscape?
Theme infographics can be in either portrait or landscape.
76. Can you clarify which part of the application is "Section 1"?
This is the "Details of Proposed NIHR Biomedical Research Centre" section.
TRCs
77. There isn't an NIHR Translational Research Collaboration (TRC) in my research area, why is this?
There are currently 7 established NIHR TRCs, NHS/university partnerships are required to indicate which of these NIHR TRCs they intend to participate in. While participation in a TRC is not obligatory, we would strongly encourage applicants with relevant Themes to consider joining relevant TRCs.
The establishment of new NIHR TRCs can be considered following confirmation of NIHR designation and funding.
Other
78. Is there an NIHR definition of experimental medicine?
The BRC guidance states: The scope of early translational and experimental medicine within the NIHR spans the transition between the pre-clinical/clinical boundary, from ‘first-in-human’ studies through to the equivalent of Phase II clinical trials. This would include studies that are undertaken in human participants, or using human tissues that aim to identify mechanisms of pathophysiology or disease, demonstrate proof-of-concept, or the validity of new experimental designs and approaches.
Animal research is not eligible for funding under this scheme. It is recognised that research leaders will often be working across basic, translational and clinical research; and that translation is an iterative rather than a linear process, often requiring further exploratory research. NIHR BRC funding should support the human-facing elements of early-translational and experimental medicine research and alternative funding sources should be used to undertake the aspects of research requiring the use of animal models or tissues.
FAQs added following publication of version 8
Academic Career Development
79. Please clarify which sort of posts you expect to be categorised as Academic Career Development?
Masters and PhD students and Post Docs should be listed as a "trainee", while the BRC academic career development lead should be listed as "academic career development".
Diagrams/Images/Infographics
80. Is it permissible to include diagrams in the Section 4 Theme strategies and other parts of the application e.g. the training and PPI sections for illustrative purposes to convey information that is better depicted in a diagram?
Is it permissible to include diagrams in the Section 4 theme strategies and most other parts of the application.
81. What is the difference between an infographic and an image?
Infographics can contain additional wording. However, please note that infographics can only be uploaded as Theme case studies. You do not have to upload an infographic as a Theme case study, and can opt to include 400 words of text instead.
Most text boxes on RMS also have the option to upload an additional image. Images added in these text boxes should not include additional wording, although a simple heading or graph axis label is allowed.
Finance
82. Is the "justification of costs" for each category (staff, consumables, direct, biosample etc) in a Theme mandatory) and will these be provided to reviewers?
Yes, the justification of costs for each category are mandatory and will be provided to the International Selection Committee.
83. Is the £5,000 limit on tangible fixed assets and equipment applicable to one piece of equipment per theme or for per Theme/overall award?
The £5,000 limit refers to single items of equipment. Purchase or lease costs for essential items of equipment plus maintenance and related costs not included as part of estates can be included but only purchase costs of pieces of equipment up to £5,000, excluding VAT, will be considered.
Pieces of equipment costing more than £5,000 to purchase will need to be leased. Items of equipment valued at £250 or more must be itemised separately; however, grouping the same type of equipment is permitted. Costs of computers are normally restricted to a maximum of £1000 each excluding VAT. A statement of justification must be included in the relevant ‘Justification of Costs’ section for any purchase above this limit."
Theme Peer Review
84. Please confirm which documents/sections of the BRC Stage 2 application the theme peer reviewers will receive.
The peer reviewers will receive the information provided in the "NIHR BRC Theme Details & Financial Plans". Please ensure that all the information that you would like them to consider for the Theme is included in this section.
FAQs added following publication of version 9
ORCID IDs
85. Should we note ORCID identifiers for key research staff listed in the Themes?
ORCID IDs for key researchers may be included, however all details that you wish to be considered by the International Selection Committee and Peer Reviewers as part of their assessment should be contained within the application form.
Review Process
86. Will each section go out to different reviewers or will reviewers receive the full application?
The International Selection Committee will receive the entire application (including public and peer reviews when available). Public and peer reviewers will receive the information in the relevant Theme section for the specific Theme they are reviewing.
RMS Form
87. In Objectives, can you clarify the detail expected in the 200 word section that asks for a description of “How will you monitor and manage success?”
It is for applicants to consider what level of detail to include in the application to describe how the Partnership will demonstrate a stated objective has been achieved.
FAQs added following publication of version 10
Conflicts of Interest
88. How should conflicts of interest be summarised within the 300 word limit?
Highlight any conflicts of interest (COI) related to the Director (commercial, personal or other) which may affect or be perceived to affect the Director’s decision-making with regard to oversight and governance of the BRC award; and any other known conflicts that the lead applicant considers relevant for the International Selection Committee. Please provide a statement of assurance that all other named staff members have been vetted in line with the local Trust/HEI COI policy.
Finance
89. Do we need to provide a justification as to why there are no costs associated with a particular cost area?
It is acceptable to put "N/A" in the box, however if you feel a justification of why there are no costs associated with this area is required to justify your application, it can be included here.
90. Please could you confirm that the £5,000 on fixed assets and equipment is per theme and also if this is a one off limit of £5,000 for the whole award of per year?
The £5,000 limit is per single piece of equipment, and there is no restriction on the number of pieces of equipment that can be included within the Theme.
91. How should PhD stipend costs be added to the finance sheet; and should NI and pension be added?
Please add PhD stipend costs to the "Salary" section in the Finance form. The "On Costs" section (NI, pension, etc) can be set to zero for studentships. The tuition fees for any studentships should be added to other direct costs.
92. Where should open access costs be added on the application?
Please detail all open access costs in the "Open Access" section within the Finance form.
93. In the "Summary of Finances and Justification of Resources", what resource information is required for administration, PPIE, training and the TRCs?
Please state the resources that you anticipate will be allocated, this should include an estimated monetary value for each.
Organisation Leads
94. Who should be named as Host NHS Organisation lead and University Partner lead? Are you asking us to include the details of the overall leads of the organisations (ie Chief Executive, Vice Chancellor) or the details of those within each organisation who have been given the responsibility to be lead within the named organisation for the BRC (e.g. Director of Research, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research)?
The Host NHS Organisation Lead and University Partner Lead should be an individual with sufficient institutional authority to endorse the application. This is likely to be (but does not have to be) the same person named at Stage 1.
95. Can the individuals listed as the “Organisation Leads” on the “Details of Proposed NIHR Biomedical Research Centre” RMS page, be different to the individuals added as the “Authorised signatory of the Host NHS Organisation/Partner University” on the “Other authorising roles – signatories (electronic)” RMS page?
The Host NHS Organisation Lead and University Partner Lead should be an individual with sufficient institutional authority to endorse the application. The authorised signatory on the signatories page can differ from the leads, but they must have sufficient institutional authority to endorse the application.
RMS Form
96. Are references in section 4.2 included in the 1300 word limit?
Any references provided are included in the word count for all sections. Please also see FAQ 13 and 20.
97. Can hyperlinks be included in sections 4.1 and 4.2
Please see FAQ 49: No. The International Selection Committee will consider the information provided in the full application document to make recommendations to DHSC on designation and funding. You should ensure your application is a stand alone document and contains sufficient detail to inform the Committee's review.
FAQs added Following Publication of Version 11
Conflicts of Interest
98. Please could you expand on or give an example of what you would class as a conflict or potential conflict of interest?
Applicants should highlight any relationships (commercial, personal or other) which may affect or be perceived to affect the Director’s decision-making with regard to oversight and governance of the BRC award. For remaining personnel, applicants should decide whether conflicts are significant enough to be highlighted to the committee or whether assurance that staff will comply with local COI policies is sufficient.
Newly Established Posts
99. Please could you clarify whether it would be acceptable for a newly established post to be employed by one of the university partner organisations?
The expectation is that any newly established posts created with funding from this scheme will be employed by the NHS. Where an applicant believes it is more appropriate for an individual to be employed by the university partner or other university collaborators this must be justified in the application. Please note that funding for posts at HEIs will not attract additional employment costs under this funding scheme.
Themes (Section 4.4)- Additional Partners
100. Can you please confirm that you just want details of support from formal additional partners in section 4.4?
Yes. Please just include details of partnerships/collaborations with the named additional partners in Section 4.4.