Check Eligibility – Scientific Software Development Support

To ensure fairness, transparency, and meaningful impact, UKABCS has established clear eligibility criteria for researchers, institutions, and organizations applying for software development support.


1. Individual Eligibility

  • Researchers & Developers: Independent researchers, PhD candidates, or postdoctoral fellows with strong ideas for new bioinformatics or chemoinformatics tools.
  • Early-Career Innovators: Applicants within the first 5–7 years of their research careers, especially those developing open science solutions.
  • Senior Academics & Principal Investigators: Established researchers leading teams or labs may apply for larger-scale or collaborative software projects, provided institutional support is confirmed.

2. Institutional Eligibility

  • Universities & Academic Labs: Accredited universities and research groups engaged in computational sciences.
  • Non-Profit Organizations: NGOs and research consortia focusing on open science and tool development.
  • Accredited Private Companies: Early-stage startups or SMEs are eligible if they are developing software with a clear research or scientific application.
  • Partner Institutions: Priority is given to institutions that hold formal partnerships with UKABCS. Non-partner institutions may also apply if they provide an official endorsement letter.

3. Project Eligibility

  • Scope: Projects must focus on developing, improving, or maintaining scientific software relevant to biotechnology, bioinformatics, or chemoinformatics.
  • Open Science Alignment: Proposals must include a plan to release the tool, data, or methodology for research use (open-source preferred).
  • Feasibility & Impact: Applications must demonstrate realistic timelines, technical feasibility, and potential for significant research or societal impact.

4. Projects with Commercial Potential

UKABCS welcomes projects that may result in both research and commercial applications. To balance innovation with accessibility:

  1. Non-Exclusive Research Rights
    • UKABCS retains non-exclusive rights to ensure free use of the software for research and education.
  2. Commercial Rights
    • Applicant institutions or companies may pursue commercial opportunities and retain related revenue, provided this does not restrict non-commercial research access.
  3. Partnership or Licensing Agreement
    • For projects with commercial potential, a joint agreement will be established between UKABCS and the applicant institution to clarify intellectual property rights, ownership shares if applicable, and conditions for research versus commercial use.
  4. Open Science Commitment
    • Even commercially oriented tools must include a component (e.g., dataset, module, or core feature) released under open-access or research-usable terms.

5. Documentation Requirements

Applicants must provide:

  • Completed proposal template (objectives, scope, methodology).
  • Detailed budget form.
  • Official institutional endorsement letter (signed and stamped).
  • CV or profile of the lead applicant and key team members.

6. Geographic Scope

  • United Kingdom: Priority for applicants based in the UK.
  • EMEA Region: Focus on Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
  • International Applicants: Eligible if collaborating with UKABCS partners or aligned with UKABCS’s mission.

7. Exclusions

Applications will not be considered if they:

  • Are purely commercial with no scientific or community benefit.
  • Lack institutional endorsement or credible support.
  • Fall outside the mission and scope of UKABCS.