LINK projects are academia-led projects in which a collaborating company, or consortium of companies, contribute 50% of the full projects costs either in kind, in cash or a combination of both.
They ‘stand alone’ in any area of BBSRC’s remit i.e. they are no longer connected to a managed programme, and are assessed three times per year in BBSRC’s regular responsive mode grant rounds.
LINK projects cover pre-competitive research i.e. research which typically demonstrates proof-of-concept but which does not usually lead to product development and commercialisation within the lifetime of the project.
Similarly to IPAs, LINK applications carry a certain degree of assessment privilege in that, providing they meet conventional criteria for scientific merit alongside other grant applications, they receive an uplift in the ranking process (but no guarantee of funding).
Again, this scheme is well worth you investigating if you have not encountered it before. Some of the best-functioning LINK projects typically involve a world class academic researcher, a large company and up to 2 or 3 smaller companies (e.g. technology providers) working in collaboration, though any mix is possible provided the minimum 50% contribution from industry is met.
The maximum possible BBSRC grant to an academic under LINK at 100% FEC is £2M.
Next closing date: 28th April 2015