FRAME’s Innovation Grant Scheme – United Kingdom

FRAME launched the annual Innovation grant scheme in 2021 to address a gap in small funding pots for proof of principle research and pilot projects.

FRAME exists to promote better science and a more humane and compassionate society through the replacement of animals in medical experiments, drug development, and testing.

They believe that the accepted practice of using animals for researching human drugs and diseases is fundamentally flawed; however viable human-focused methods do not yet exist in all areas.

The path to animal-free science requires the existence of suitable alternative methods, and a cultural shift from scientists, regulators, funders, and journals.

The Innovation Grants is a programme designed to provide small grants to enable scientists to explore innovative ideas, methods and techniques, and where relevant help generate proof of principle data to support applications for larger grants in the future.

Funding Information

• The Scheme offers grants of around £5,000 but will consider applications asking up to £15,000. Projects should last for between 6 months and 2 years.

Eligible Projects

• FRAME does not fund any projects that use live animals, including invertebrates. This includes work on reduction and refinement.  In line with the mission, they wish to support projects demonstrating excellent science, and innovative, human-focussed, non-animal research. Applicants whose projects focus on reduction, refinement, or animal welfare may want to consider looking for funding via other sources, such as NC3Rs.
• If your project involves any animal-derived products, you must clearly justify their use in the project and demonstrate how you have researched available alternatives.
• Applications must indicate other potential and confirmed funding sources for the project.
• As part of the FRAME ethos they expect the outcomes and methods of these projects to be made publicly available and accessible to non-specialists. If this incurs costs, for example, open-access publishing, these can be included and considered as part of the application.
• They also expect that the project will contribute to the skills development of the researcher and/or progress their career in alternatives research.

Eligibility Criteria

• The lead applicant will be the grant holder.
  • The lead applicant must be a UK resident and the project based in GB or NI (overseas researchers cannot be the lead applicant but can be included as collaborators).
  • The lead applicant must hold a post (for the duration of the project and beyond) at a recognised UK higher education institution, non-profit organisation, research centre or relevant industry setting and have the support and facilities there to carry out the project. They will accept applications from early career researchers with a fellowship grant code, and post-doctoral students.
  • They will also consider applications from researchers working within the commercial sector if the project results will be shared openly. They will not fund any project which aims to generate commercial IP for the grantee or their organisation.
  • The lead applicant must hold a PhD.

For more information, visit FRAME.