UKABCS INNOFUND GRANT — Graduation Project Capacity Building Track
A 3-year standing international programme offering flexible, barrier-free graduation project support (1 to 20 teams), tri-annual open calls, up to 5-year PI academic membership, and full APC waivers in IJBTCS.
In response to rapid advancements in global scientific research, Artificial Intelligence (AI), data analytics, and computational modeling have become indispensable tools for modern scientific discovery. Scientific research and innovation are no longer restricted to high-cost physical wet laboratories. Today, undergraduate researchers, academic supervisors, and universities require robust computational and bioinformatics skill sets to analyze complex biological datasets, design computational models, and produce high-impact, globally competitive research.
Against this backdrop, the UK Association for Biotechnology and Computational Science (UKABCS) has established the UKABCS INNOFUND GRANT — Graduation Project Grant. This standing initiative provides universities, colleges, research institutes, and individual academic supervisors worldwide with a structured mechanism to empower undergraduate students in executing cutting-edge, computationally driven graduation projects.
Strategic Origin: Flexible & Inclusive Support (Inspired by Dr. Ahmed El-Hussein)
The inception of this restructured INNOFUND Grant model stems directly from the academic leadership and initiative of Dr. Ahmed El-Hussein, Director of the Molecular Biotechnology Programme at the Faculty of Science, Galala University (Egypt).
Dr. El-Hussein approached UKABCS with a compelling proposal aimed at securing high-level international grant support, advanced computational infrastructure, and industrial training exemptions specifically tailored for his undergraduate students embarking on their final-year graduation projects in molecular biotechnology. His forward-looking vision emphasized the necessity of a flexible, inclusive capacity-building framework that could adapt seamlessly to focused student cohorts (such as supporting 10–12 students across three specialized graduation projects) without being constrained by rigid, large-scale quota requirements.
UKABCS extends its profound gratitude to Dr. Ahmed El-Hussein for his exemplary dedication to student empowerment. Under this expanded framework, the INNOFUND Grant accommodates the full spectrum of academic needs — ensuring that any dedicated Principal Investigator (PI) or supervisor can access international computational resources, institutional recognition, and peer-reviewed publication support, whether guiding a single graduation project team or an extensive departmental portfolio of up to 20 projects.
Programme Framework & Grant Participation Cycle
- 3-Year Active Programme Framework: The INNOFUND Graduation Project Grant operates as a continuously available international programme within a 3-year framework.
- Up to 5-Year PI Participation Cycle: Awarded Principal Investigators may participate for up to five consecutive academic years, subject to annual renewal and satisfactory engagement.
- Tri-Annual Open Intake: The grant opens for applications three (3) times per year to accommodate international academic calendars:
- Round 1 (Autumn): Opens 20 August — Closes 10 September
- Round 2 (Winter): Opens 20 December — Closes 10 January
- Round 3 (Spring): Opens 20 April — Closes 10 May
Programme Structure — Two-Phase Framework
Phase I — Mandatory Preparatory Training (Prerequisite Phase)
- Delivered by Industrial Partner: Bioinformatics Gate Egypt.
- Satisfies official faculty practical and field training standards.
- Tuition: Standard fee £100 GBP with an Official 25% UKABCS Grant Winner Discount (£25 off), resulting in a net student fee of £75 GBP, payable in 3 flexible installments.
- Optional University Co-Funding: If the university contributes £25, the student pays only £50 GBP.
- Direct Payment: Paid directly to the educational partner; no portion is received by UKABCS.
Phase II — Graduation Project Implementation (100% Fully Funded)
- Zero tuition or implementation fees payable by students for academic execution.
- Duration: 3 months of supervised execution (~75 supervised hours).
- Nominal Project Hosting Fee: A flat fee of £15 GBP per graduation project team (Fifteen Pounds Sterling for the entire project team, not per student) covers dedicated server hosting, domain setup, and cloud computational tracking.
Equivalent Grant Support Value & Principal Investigator Benefits
In-Kind Support Package: £3,250+ Per Student Team
| Support Category | Equivalent Value (GBP) | Operational Details |
|---|---|---|
| Training Programme Support (Phase I) | £250 per team | 25% tuition waiver (£25 × 10 students) sponsored by UKABCS & Bioinformatics Gate. |
| Scientific Publication & Poster Support (Phase II) | £800 per team | Subsidized publication & conference poster processing via IJBTCS channels. |
| Science Freelance Platform Access (Phase II) | £500 per team/yr | 1-Year team access (10 students), 50 tasks, 99 credits, client-matching portal. |
| Get Docs Talk AI Research Access (Phase II) | £700 per team | 6-Month subscription for AI reference analysis and literature review. |
| ClientFlow CRM Platform Access (Phase II) | £1,000 per team | 12-Month project management and research workflow license. |
| Computational Infrastructure & Software | Fully Included | Cloud server instances, simulation engines, and AI models. |
| Academic & Technical Mentorship | Fully Included | Dedicated industrial mentors and milestone technical auditing. |
| Total Equivalent Support Per Team | £3,250+ GBP | Structured In-Kind Ecosystem (No Direct Cash Transfer) |
Special Benefits for Principal Investigators (PIs)
Under the INNOFUND framework, Principal Investigators receive high-level academic recognition:
- Official UKABCS 5-Year Academic & Professional Membership:
- Formal Certificate of Research Leadership & Affiliation.
- Annually renewable 5-year cycle for continuous student intake.
- Priority access to future international funding calls and research consortia.
- IJBTCS Publication Support Voucher (100% APC Waiver):
- One unique voucher providing a 100% waiver of Article Processing Charges for submission to the International Journal of Biotechnology and Computational Science (ijbtcs.com).
- Institutional Leadership Recognition & Priority Networking:
- Formal acknowledgment in international UKABCS proceedings.
Application Timeline & Submission Details
- Current Application Window: Round 1 (20 August – 10 September) (Current Round Closed)
- Review & Notification Period: 11 September – 20 September (10 Days)
- Agreement Finalization: 21 September – 25 September (5 Days)
- Team Formation & Registration: 26 September – 05 October (10 Days)
- Official Inquiries:
[email protected] - Submission Portals:
Apply for Grant Funding & Capacity Building
UKABCS provides competitive peer-reviewed research grants, publication fee waivers, and international mobility support for computational researchers.