Spring 2026 FMA Impact Report Funding Call:
Open 9:00 AM, 16th February – 5:00 PM, 24th April 2026
FMA-Impact awards, valued at up to £25,000, are designed to foster collaboration between academia and industry in the creation of impactful documents aimed at influencing policy. The goal is to present clear, evidence-based insights to those capable of implementing change.
The purpose of these awards is to assemble a working group tasked with producing an impact document. This document should synthesise existing evidence from published trials, demonstrating the benefits of gut-modulating products such as prebiotics and probiotics. Additionally, it should ideally include a cost analysis to estimate potential savings for the NHS or in reducing lost workdays if certain population groups consume these functional foods.
Collaboration with an economist is highly recommended to strengthen the cost analysis. The project should be led by an Early Career Researcher (ECR), who will manage meetings, set objectives, and oversee the completion of the document. The final report should be accessible to non-specialist readers. These teams are expected to comprise both industry representatives and academics, with a particular emphasis on involving ECR’s.
Who can apply?
Funding is available to staff and researchers from any public or private UK organisation with an activity in functional foods, gut health and recovery. Priority will be given to ECR’s.
You do not need to be a member of the INFORM OIRC to apply, but we recommend it. If you are successful, you will need to join. It’s simple to join and lets you hear about our funding calls and events before anyone else. You can also be a member of other ORIC hubs. If you haven’t already, please sign up here.
*Note the application review process can take 8-12 weeks. Please consider this with the potential project start date on your application
Duration FMA Impact Reports:
FMA Placement funding will support working groups involved with completing the Impact document for up to six months.
Costs the funding will cover
Academic staff will be offered a £1,000 fixed honorarium for working on the project. The ECR can claim a part-time salary for the duration to reflect the time contribution made to the project. An economist is expected to be compensated based on time contributions.
Funding should also cover expenses supporting face-to-face meetings to bring the working group together to work on the document.
Projects are awarded at 100% FEC (excluding any associated estates and indirect costs).
Costs that cannot be claimed
Please note you cannot apply for:
- indirect or estate costs at the research organisation
- undergraduate or postgraduate activities, training, or core PhD training, including tuition or bench fees.
Review and assessment
When we receive your application, our Hub Manager will ensure the eligibility criteria are met, the application has been completed, and full financial information is included.
FMA Impact Report applications will be peer-reviewed by four members of our panel.
The document should support INFORM’s aims. On passing these requirements, applications will be assessed across the following areas.
- Eligibility
- Status of candidates
- Project in scope
- Quality of the project
- Potential outcomes (benefit to ECR, long-term collaboration, potential for policy changes)
The Hub Management Committee will further assess the applications for the awards.
Reviewers will be expected to adhere to the highest standards of scientific integrity. In the event of a conflict of interest, this must be declared to the hub manager, who will reassign the proposal to an alternative reviewer.
Application Process:
Applications must be submitted in full via the online portal by 5 PM on Friday, 26th April 2026.
You can save your application at any stage. We will email you a login link, but your return code will only be displayed on-screen. Please note it down, as it is required alongside the link to resume your application.
If you are collaborating with others, you may also share the link and the code with them to access the form and update/complete the required information. If you lose your code, contact the Hub Manager for assistance.
A copy of the application form and FMA Impact Report Guidance document can be downloaded from the links below to assist with your application submission.
BBSRC INFORM Hub – FMA-Impact Report Guidance Document Feb26 v3.00
BBSRC INFORM Hub – FMA-Impact Report Application Template