We are excited to announce the launch of our first Pathfinder Projects call, offering researchers and research technical professionals the opportunity to tackle real-world barriers to making life sciences data and workflows FAIR and AI-ready. We invite innovative proposals that diagnose challenges and prototype practical solutions, grounded in a scientific question. Pathfinder Projects will act as exemplars, driving requirements for the BioFAIR initiative and developing proofs-of-concept that can benefit from, and be incorporated into, the national infrastructure.
We will fund 8 – 12 projects across the scientific domains. Successful projects will receive up to £100,000 funding for 12 months to test new approaches, drive culture change, and accelerate the adoption of FAIR practices. Don’t miss this chance to help shape the future of UK life sciences research infrastructure.
Key dates
Award summary
| Funding type: | Grant |
| Total fund: | £800,000 |
| Maximum award: | £100,000 |
| Project duration: | 12 months |
| Number of projects funded: | 8-12 |
| Open to: | UK research organisations eligible to receive UKRI funding |
| Funders: | BBSRC and MRC (via BioFAIR) |
Last updated: 13 October 2025
Eligible organisations and teams
We welcome applications from UK research organisations that are eligible for UKRI funding – check if your organisation is eligible. Industry partners and SMEs are welcome to collaborate with academic organisations, typically under subcontractor agreements. If your application has an industry partner, please get in touch with us to discuss this further (opportunities@biofair.uk).
Applications are open to teams with demonstrable, relevant experience. Building on the Technician Commitment UKRI Action Plan and the UKRI people and teams action plan, we particularly encourage applications from Research Technical Professionals (RTPs) as either project leads or project co-leads. Team member roles may include but are not limited to:
- Research scientist or group leader
- Research software engineer or architect
- Research technical professional
- Bioinformatician
- Data steward or data manager
- Researcher focused on workflows or data
- Platform or core facility staff
- Training and outreach staff
- Technician with data management responsibilities
- Other specialist
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We are committed to ensuring that our committees, panels and boards are inclusive, diverse and representative of the UK Life Science Research community.
We are committed to the principle of providing equal opportunities for all.
We strongly encourage applications from:
- Underrepresented groups in research infrastructure roles
- Applicants with non-linear careers or career breaks
- Those based in under-resourced regions or institutions
- Applicants with part-time contracts or caring responsibilities
We recognise that diverse ideas, experiences, backgrounds and perspectives are fundamental to successful research and technical development.
In this application process, we collect information about your age, gender (including previous gender identity if applicable), disability, ethnic origin and sexual orientation as part of our equality monitoring procedures. Data collected from your application form is used to assess your suitability for the role and, as appropriate, make arrangements for appointment. Special category data collected as part of our equality monitoring procedures is used to provide anonymised data and reports to ensure we maintain and promote equality of opportunity across our recruitment practices. As appropriate, it may also be used to ensure reasonable adjustments are made to recruitment processes in relation to any disability, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. Our full privacy statement can be found here https://biofair.uk/privacy-policy/
If you require reasonable adjustments to apply, please contact: opportunities@biofair.uk
BioFAIR is looking to fund a set of diverse projects spread across the life science domains, and geographically spread across the UK. Areas could include, but are not limited to, imaging, multi-omics, single-cell and spatial biology, microbiomes, health, crop sustainability, and food security.
We are also interested in projects at different stages in the FAIR journey, from early FAIR-aware projects to those that are more mature in their adoption. Taken together, this diversity will provide a national picture of FAIR maturity across the life sciences and reveal the most effective interventions at different stages of the journey.
Please watch the recording of our launch webinar to learn more about the types of projects we are looking for.
Scope
A good Pathfinder Project will identify a specific, well-scoped FAIR challenge, grounded in a scientific question — and propose a realistic way to address it. This could include (but are not limited to) doing some of the following to address a scientific question:
- Adapting workflows for discoverability, portability and reproducibility
- Bridging gaps between data producers, software developers, and infrastructure providers
- Addressing cultural barriers to FAIR implementation: governance, training, incentives and skills gaps
- Driving adoption of metadata standards, ontologies, databases, and identifier frameworks
BioFAIR is a developing organisation. If you have an idea that does not fit these criteria, we still want to hear from you. Please submit a 1-page outline of your idea to opportunities@biofair.uk and we will get back to you as office resources allow. These summaries will also help us identify emerging ideas, workshop opportunities and direction for future funding calls.
Out of scope
The following types of project (list not exhaustive) will not be considered eligible for this call:
- Projects with a technological motivation, not a scientific one. To be in scope, projects must describe at least one driving scientific or research-based use case as part of the proposal. Projects whose main objective is to increase usage or adoption of a single existing tool are considered technology-motivated.
- Projects with a narrow or local focus that deliver benefits only within a single project or organisation, without clear alignment to any wider national capabilities.
- Work that duplicates existing tools or platforms, without a clear rationale of the domain-specific value added through duplication.
- Projects that aim to develop standalone services or databases without considering how the work could inform or connect to national-level infrastructure. For example, a project that created a new database for single-cell resolution imaging data in mice would not be considered, but a project that identified the analysis workflows, portal requirements, and data standards needed to create an interoperable network of single-cell resolution imaging datasets in mice, and a reference implementation, would be considered eligible.
- Projects that handle exclusively sensitive human data are out of scope for BioFAIR. Projects that will investigate FAIR challenges that extend out to sensitive human data may be considered in scope as long as they include an explanation of how they will engage with life sciences infrastructures that already operate in this space, such as HDR UK, that have the specific expertise necessary for handling this data.
Duration
Pathfinder projects are expected to start early 2026 and last 12 months.
Deliverables and Activities
Awardees will be expected to participate in the following:
At the start of the project:
- Participation in a kick-off BioFAIR event to share the problems being addressed and proposed plans
During the project:
- Participation in quarterly catch up meetings with all Pathfinder projects and the BioFAIR hub team.
At the end of the project:
- A report on project outcomes, impacts, and future needs, as well as negative findings and lessons learned.
- Participation in a Pathfinders showcase event at the end of the 12 months to share stories, experiences and outcomes.
Total award cap: £100,000 per Pathfinder Project (including overheads).
Funding model:
- Direct costs are funded at 100% of actual eligible costs
- An overhead contribution is paid at 25% of eligible direct costs
- The combined total (direct + overhead) must not exceed £100,000
Eligible direct costs (illustrative, not exhaustive):
- Staff salary and employer on-costs directly attributable to the project
- Project consumables and small project-specific equipment/software/licenses
- Cloud/compute/services and reasonable data storage used during the award
- Travel, subsistence, and dissemination directly related to the project
Ineligible costs:
- Institutional overheads/estates/indirects beyond the 25% overhead contribution
- General institutional costs not directly attributable to the project
- Contingency lines
Overhead notes:
- The 25% overhead contribution is calculated only on eligible direct costs included in the approved budget.
- Some host organisations may elect to claim <25% in line with their internal policy; any unclaimed overhead cannot be reallocated to direct costs.
Virement & changes:
- No virement between Direct and Overhead.
Application process
To apply to the BioFAIR Pathfinder Project call, you must complete the BioFAIR Pathfinder Project application form.
- Download and complete the application form provided.
- Institutional authorisation: Each application must include a letter of support from the host organisation, signed by a senior staff member (e.g., Head of Department or Group Leader) confirming that the Project Lead is authorised to submit the proposal and that the organisation will administer the award, if funded.
- Letter of Support (optional): Applicants may include one supporting letter from users or third-party organisations where they detail direct and specific contributions or activities within the project. Generic letters not tied to specific contributions are discouraged.
- Allow sufficient time to read through your application and for your organisation’s research support team to complete internal review and authorisation processes.
- Please turn your application form and any letters of support into PDF and send by email to opportunities@biofair.uk by the advertised deadline.
The application deadline is 4pm on Monday, 15th December. Late applications will not be accepted.
Stage one:
The BioFAIR Hub team will conduct an initial review of all applications to check eligibility, fit to call and correct completion of the application form.
Stage two:
The applications will then be reviewed by a panel consisting of members from the BioFAIR Hub team and independent experts.
Projects will be assessed against the following criteria by the review panel. The panel’s scores will be used to create a shortlist of potentially fundable applications.
| Criterion | Weight |
| Strategic rationale Clear description of scientific drive behind the FAIR challenge addressed Rationale for the work proposed, clearly identifying needs that are not met by existing resources, and measures for success Vision of how solutions will enhance UK life sciences and align with BioFAIR objectives | 30% |
| Approach and outcomes Feasibility of solution and delivery plan Quality and sustainability of any data or software that is produced (or improved) over the course of the project Clear explanation of how the chosen approach will contribute to alignment of FAIR challenges and consolidation of solutions used, rather than a further proliferation of the FAIR-enabling tools available Feasibility of approach to experiment with different and pragmatic approaches that address the FAIR challenge, for example through engagement with BioFAIR fellows and BioFAIR platform services as they emerge | 30% |
| Community and stakeholder engagement plan Approach to dissemination, upkeep and future-proofing Clear definition of optimal benefit of output and how this will be delivered Plan to mitigate risks to potential beneficiaries or interested parties not being able to benefit | 15% |
| Team Capability to deliver proposed plan | 15% |
| Justification of resources and cost | 10% |
Stage three:
Reflecting BioFAIR’s team-first approach, the reviewers’ will consider the shortlisted fundable applications to create a diverse but cohesive portfolio of projects across domains, institutions, and challenge types that has the potential to add value across the breadth of BioFAIR strategy and emerging activity. As part of this approach, and where applicants are of comparable quality within the above assessment criteria, the following portfolio factors will be considered:
- Diversity of research performing organisations and institutional settings
- Scientific focus, to ensure coverage of the opportunity remit
- Geographic coverage to ensure that, as far as possible, the final project portfolio gives a representative view of pan-UK FAIR challenges
Blog Post
BioFAIR Published a news story with further information on the Pathfinder Projects call on 02 October 2025 – check this out to learn more about the significance of the Pathfinder Projects call and why you should apply.
Webinar
BioFAIR held an informational webinar on 9 October to introduce the Pathfinder Projects and answer common questions from prospective applicants.
You can watch the recording below to learn more about the programme, eligibility, and how to apply.
A second live Q&A webinar will take place on 11 November, offering another opportunity to meet the team and ask your questions directly.
Register now to join us:
Scope and Eligibility
Funding and Costs
Timeline and Future Calls
Ready to apply?
Applications are now open until 15 December 2025. Please submit your applications to opportunities@biofair.uk by 16:00 GMT!
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