2025 To 2026 Strategic Longer and Larger (Slola) Grants: Stage Two

The Strategic Longer and Larger (sLoLa) Grants programme is a major research investment initiative delivered by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). It aims to enable large-scale, team-based fundamental bioscience research that has the potential to transform our understanding of living systems and create long-term capability within the UK research landscape.

The Stage Two funding opportunity is the full application phase of the sLoLa process, open only to teams that have successfully progressed from an initial outline application. It focuses on ambitious research programmes that require significant coordination, integration and investment beyond what smaller awards can support.

This competition provides up to £20 million in total funding, with individual grants starting at a minimum of £2 million and lasting up to five years. BBSRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost (FEC) of each project, recognising the need for substantial investment in research that pushes the frontiers of bioscience knowledge.

This grant is intended for collaborative, interdisciplinary teams that bring together diverse expertise from across UK higher education institutions, research council institutes, approved independent research organisations and public sector research establishments. Projects should demonstrate a fully integrated team science approach, with a clear justification for the scale of funding and the potential for major breakthroughs in fundamental understanding and capability.

By investing in strategically significant research programmes of longer duration and larger scale than typical research grants, the sLoLa scheme supports the advancement of frontier bioscience, enhances UK research capacity, and fosters international leadership in key scientific areas.