The University’s BBSRC Flexible Talent Mobility Award (FTMA): Placement Call 2025 is Open - deadline 12th February

The University’s BBSRC Flexible Talent Mobility Award (FTMA) has officially opened its Placement Call for 2025, inviting applications from researchers and research technical professionals seeking funding to support time spent at project partner locations. This award provides substantial backing of up to £12,000 per project, aimed at fostering skills development, building collaborative relationships, and facilitating knowledge exchange. Applicants have until 12th February 2026, 16:00 to submit their proposals, so there’s a good window to prepare a strong application. The FTMA is quite flexible in terms of how placements can be structured. Researchers can spend anywhere from a single day up to six months at a partner organisation, either part-time or full-time. This also extends to hosting partners within research groups or facilities right here at the University of Cambridge. This flexibility means that placements can be tailored specifically to the needs of the project and the individuals involved. Eligibility for this award is focused on researchers who hold a PhD and research technical professionals currently employed by the University of Cambridge or the Wellcome Sanger Institute. A noteworthy point is that the funding distribution ensures that at least 25% goes to early career researchers (ECRs) and another 25% is reserved for research technical professionals, promoting diversity in recipient profiles. In terms of project partners, the FTMA is wide open — any organisation in the UK or overseas can be involved. The award’s remit centers around data-intensive bioscience disciplines. This includes, but isn’t limited to, areas like bioinformatics, various ‘-omics’ fields, multimodal data handling, and analytical methods for large-scale bioscience data. Applications that involve AI in bioscience or bioimaging, or interdisciplinary projects under the BBSRC remit, are also welcomed. Importantly, having previous BBSRC or UKRI funding isn’t a requirement, which broadens the accessibility for applicants. Beyond self-proposed placements, the University also offers a limited number of pre-set placement options that come directly from industry partners eager to host researchers and technical staff. However, these pre-set opportunities come with their own added interim deadlines to facilitate proper planning and development of the projects. For applicants looking for guidance, informal online one-on-one drop-in sessions are highly recommended. These sessions provide tailored advice that could help shape and strengthen your application. Additionally, if you’re interested in placements with UK policy organisations, the team can connect you with the Centre for Science in Policy (CsaP), which may assist in finding suitable hosts. Overall, the FTMA presents a great opportunity to develop new skills, collaborate with diverse partners, and contribute to cutting-edge bioscience research through flexible and well-supported placements. If you’re eligible and keen on expanding your research horizons, now’s the time to start planning your proposal.