Flexible Fund 4 – the Challenge call

Stage 1 – Expressions of Interest (EOI)

Stage 1 will invite applicants to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through an online form hosted on Microsoft Forms.

EOIs will be assessed by a panel comprising UK-HyRES Theme Leads, members of the Strategic Advisory Board, and invited external reviewers with relevant subject expertise. Applications will be assessed against criteria 1–4 outlined in the assessment criteria section.

Given the breadth of research areas covered by this Challenge Call, UK-HyRES will identify and, where required, appoint external reviewers with appropriate expertise to ensure proposals are assessed fairly and effectively.

Due to the expected volume of applications, applicants who are not invited to proceed to Stage 2 will not receive individual feedback.

Following the EOI assessment, applicants invited to submit a full proposal will have the opportunity to engage with relevant UK-HyRES Cross-Cutting Theme Leads before submission. These discussions are intended to help applicants strengthen their proposals by considering wider project impacts, including:

• Techno-economic considerations;
• Environmental impacts;
• Safety considerations;
• Multi-sector and/or multi-organisational input;
• Multidisciplinary involvement;
• Social acceptance and wider societal impacts.

Applicants are not expected to have fully developed these considerations at the EOI stage. The purpose of the theme-led discussions is to support the development of stronger, more integrated full proposals.

Stage 2 – Full Proposal

Applicants invited to Stage 2 will submit a full proposal that will undergo a robust peer review process. Full proposals will be assessed against all assessment criteria outlined in this call.

The full proposal template will be provided to successful EOI applicants and will include the following sections:

• Part I: Project Details
• Part II: Case for Support
• Part III: Track Record
• Part IV: Justification of Resources (JoR)
• Letters of Support
• Project Lead CV

The full proposal should provide a clear demonstration of the research ambition, challenge relevance, partnership approach, integration with UK-HyRES, and potential pathway to impact.

Review Criteria

Proposals will be reviewed on:

• Quality, ambition and novelty
• Development, training, support and mentorship of the PL
• Ability to deliver the research and complete within the time and resources requested
• Clear plans for proposed research, project management, engagement, EDI, skills development and impact
• Partnerships and Collaborations

Criterion

1. Vision, quality and strategic fit — likelihood of a step-change contribution to hydrogen and alternative liquid fuel deployment; alignment to one or more UK-HyRES technical and/or cross-cutting themes; contribution to a balanced Hub portfolio. Applies at stage 1 and 2.
2. Meaningful partnership and non-academic impact — clear identification of the partner and the specific challenge being addressed (Stage 1); evidence of co-creation and a credible plan for the partner’s contribution (Stage 2). Cash contribution is welcomed but in-kind or other meaningful engagement is acceptable, particularly for civic partners. Applies at stage 1 and 2.
3. Cross-cutting integration, consideration of the Hub’s cross-cutting themes (techno-economics, environmental impact, safety, social acceptance) in project design. Applies at stage 1 and 2.
4. Deliverability, realistic scope, budget and plan for spending the award fully within the funded period; quality of risk identification and mitigation. Applies at stage 1 and 2.
5. Expertise of the applicants, appropriateness of expertise to the proposed research; potential for longer-term collaboration. Applies at stage 2.
6. Project management, effectiveness of proposed planning and management, including risk; appropriateness and affordability of resources. Applies at stage 2.

Required outputs and reporting

For EPSRC funds, a final, publicly disclosable report and slide pack (5 to 10 slides) that summarises key impacts, findings and follow on work enabled from the research, which will be used to verify completion and inform future activities.

A project summary which can be published on the UK-HyRES Hub website on announcement of the Flexible Funding award.

A summary of funding opportunities that the investigators expect the award to enable.

Please note that the research undertaken as part of the UK-HyRES Flexible Funding call is also subject to:

Discussion and feedback from the Strategic Advisory Board at their biannual meetings.

Successful applicants attending the UK-HyRES Hub Annual General Assemblies (or other dissemination events as required) to present the findings, impacts and follow on work from their research.

The PL of flexible fund research projects reporting on the research outcomes to the UK-HyRES Hub to input into ResearchFish.

Successful projects will be required to comply with the UK-HyRES Hub’s reporting requirements throughout the duration of the award.

Projects must submit quarterly progress reports in alignment with the UK-HyRES Research Board calendar, with reports due two weeks in advance of each Research Board meeting. An updated Deliverables and Milestones Tracker, including a RAG status for each deliverable and milestone, must be submitted alongside each quarterly progress report.

A Final Report and Case Study must be submitted within two weeks of the project end date.

Terms and Conditions and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Terms and conditions of standard UKRI FEC grant awards apply

All project outputs and engagement should be branded as ‘UK-HyRES Hub’. Brand materials and guidance will be provided to successful applicants.

For published outputs EPSRC reference EP/X038963/1 must be quoted.

Salary budget requested should be at a level commensurate with applicant’s skills, responsibilities, expertise and experience.

Whilst this fellowship scheme provides the opportunity for the applicant’s development and dedicated time to focus to their own programme of research, it should not be construed as providing a guaranteed route to promotion. Applicants should consult with their Host

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The UK-HyRES Hub supports the UKRI Key Principles of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is a critical aspect of a healthy research culture – how projects are designed, carried out and who is involved.

Research and innovation should be ‘by everyone, for everyone’ – a dynamic, diverse, and inclusive research and innovation system in the UK is an integral part of society and should give everyone the opportunity to participate and to benefit.

We need to be diverse to accommodate that research and innovation is unpredictable, is often created through new and unanticipated combinations, and can take many forms.

By recognising and nurturing all people in the system and diversifying interactions, we will enrich our lives by creating knowledge, enabling us to understand the world around us and empowering us to tackle the many challenges we face as individuals and as communities, nationally and globally.

The whole workforce is key contributors in the research and innovation system – from the lead researcher or innovator to those who keep the lights on or maintain the large infrastructure and equipment in our laboratories, small businesses or on our research vessels

By valuing all, we recognise that a diversity of ideas, opinions, knowledge, and people enrich our work and enlarges our knowledge economy

Access UKRI’s EDI principles