ASPIRE 2024 Joint Call for Proposals “Japan-UK Engineering Biology”

At Japan side, the adopted project will be supported by JST’s program, the ASPIRE (Adopting Sustainable Partnerships for Innovative Research Ecosystem). ASPIRE is an initiative to develop and strengthen international joint research in scientific and technological fields of strategic priority with like-minded countries. Through this program in cooperation with partner national and regional funding agencies from these countries, JST aims to support international joint research and foster early career researchers who may be the future leaders in their fields by connecting top researchers and promoting international talent mobility.

At UK side, this partnership program will be supported via the International Science Partnership Fund (ISPF), designed to enable close working with international partners to address global challenges, build knowledge and develop the technologies of tomorrow. It puts research and innovation at the heart of international relationships, supporting UK researchers and innovators to work with peers around the world on the major themes of the time, developing new connections and strengthening their international networks. It’s managed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and is delivered by a consortium of the UK’s leading research and innovation bodies.

Aim

• Based on the implementation principles of the ASPIRE program in Japan and the ISPF in the UK, this partnership program, aims to support internationally competitive collaborative research projects between Japan and the UK focusing on the fundamentals of engineering biology and cross-cutting technologies, creating leading international researcher networks, and nurturing early career researchers to drive tomorrow’s engineering biology.

Call Scope

• Engineering biology is the process of taking synthetic biology concepts and translating them into real-world solutions, for example:
  • the design and fabrication of biological components and systems
  • using engineering technologies and principles
  • from modifications to natural systems through to artificial biology.
• Consequently, engineering biology encompasses the entire innovation ecosystem, from breakthrough synthetic biology research to translation and application.
• Engineering biology has the potential to offer solutions to a range of global societal challenges. This opportunity will create a pipeline for the development of high-risk, high-reward ideas and will exploit engineering biology approaches to generate impact across a range of sectors.
• This funding opportunity aims to support research under the following research topics.
  • Discovery- inspired projects: Under this topic, they are looking for novel and high-risk ideas primarily focused on the design and re-design of biological cells, organisms and systems (synthetic biology). Research themes include bioengineered cells & systems (including synthetic plants), bio-inspired design and novel materials. Further details of these three themes can be found below. These descriptions are not exhaustive, and all ideas that fit under these themes are encouraged.
    • The bioengineered cells and systems
      • The bioengineered cells and systems theme aims to develop novel approaches and technologies that allow us to construct ‘de novo’ or modify existing cell and biological systems efficiently and effectively. They anticipate that engineering biology will be applied to:
        • innovation in precision genome engineering technologies
        • meet challenges at different biological scales (for example synthetic organelles, functionally-modified cells, hybrid networks such as brain-computer interfaces)
    • The bio-inspired design theme
      • The bio-inspired design theme aims to build on the fundamental potential of biology.
    • The novel materials theme
      • The novel materials theme aims to develop new materials, products and production processes. It is anticipated that engineering biology can be used to create more sustainable production processes or alternative production solutions, and develop new:
        • materials
        • non-natural materials
        • integrated materials
        • smart/functional materials.
  • Cross-cutting research & technologies: Under this topic, projects would be in transformative areas underpinning research and technology development to unlock the full impact and benefit the engineering biology field as a whole. This would include but not be limited to areas of e.g., rational design, sensors, scalability, metrology and standardization.

Support Scale

• The funding amount from JST to the Japanese applicants will be up to 180 million Japanese Yen per project (up to 234 million Japanese Yen including 30% overhead expenses), lasting from the start of the project to the end of March 2028. This may be extended to the end of March 2030 subject to travelling and other research exchanges.
• The funding amount from BBSRC to the UK applicants will be up to 1 million British Pounds per project at 80% of its full economic cost for a maximum project duration of 36 months.
• A maximum of five projects will be funded from this call for proposals.

Eligibility

• Requirements for Japan-side research team: Researchers or research teams that are conducting research at a research institution (university, independent administrative institution, public experimental research institution, public-interest corporation, or company) within Japan are eligible to apply.
• Requirements for UK-side research team: Applicants in the UK must meet the standard UKRI and BBSRC eligibility requirements. Eligible institutions include UK-based Research Organizations (ROs), Research Council Institutes (RCIs) and approved Independent Research Organizations (IROs), Public Sector Research Establishments (PSREs).
• UKRI are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. Applications from a diverse range of researchers is encouraged and there is support for people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:
  • career breaks
  • support for people with caring responsibilities
  • flexible working
  • alternative working patterns

Consortium Composition

• Each project proposal must have at least two eligible research teams: one team (at least) in Japan and one team (at least) in the UK.
• Each team in Japan and the UK should consist of the below members, led by a Principal Investigator (PI)/Project Lead (PL). Each team should also include one or several researchers who will travel from Japan to UK and from UK to Japan respectively to conduct research (outgoing researcher).
• Japanese team should include assigned roles from the following list:
  • Principal Investigator (PI): The PI is a researcher who will be directly supported by JST and is the representative of the research team in Japan. They are responsible for directing and overseeing the whole project. The PI must be affiliated with a research institution in Japan.
  • Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) (if needed): The Co-PI is a researcher who will be directly supported by JST and collaborates with the PI in conducting the research project. The Co-PI must be affiliated with a research institution in Japan.
  • Research participants: Research participants are researchers, technicians, research assistants, students and others who are part of the research project under the direction of the PI or Co-PIs but are not directly supported by JST.

For more information, visit Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).