BBSRC–Defra Funding Call: Engineering Next Generation Veterinary Vaccine Technology Platforms

15 Apr 2025
For the attention of UK stakeholders working in veterinary vaccinology research and innovation.

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) have announced a £12.5 million funding call to support the development of next generation veterinary vaccine technology platforms.

The programme aims to:

  •  Engineer next generation ‘plug and play’ veterinary vaccine platforms using cutting-edge, transformative technologies, underpinned by a robust understanding of host immune responses and host-pathogen interactions.
  • Characterise vaccine platforms through systematic and comparative evaluation to support a modular ‘plug and play’ framework for the development of safe, scalable and cost-effective vaccines.
  • Embed a One Health approach to enable the development of vaccine technologies suitable for use in both animals and humans.  

BBSRC and Defra are expected to fund projects of up to £4 million. Applications must come from UK-based organisations that meet BBSRC’s standard eligibility criteria.

For further details about the funding call, view the pre-announcement: Engineer next generation veterinary vaccine technology platforms.

BBSRC and Defra will host a webinar on 12 May 2025 to provide more information about the funding opportunity, including a Q&A session. Click here to register for the webinar.

IVVN–BSI Workshop for Prospective Applicants

To support potential applicants, the International Veterinary Vaccinology Network (IVVN) and the British Society for Immunology (BSI) will host an in-person workshop in Nottingham, United Kingdom, on 24 June 2025.

The workshop will include facilitated networking sessions, led by IVVN and BSI, aimed at fostering the development of consortium partnerships in preparation for the funding call.

The purpose of the workshop is to:

  • Discuss current advances in vaccine platform technology research and how these innovations can transform veterinary vaccinology.
  • Provide networking opportunities to help participants identify collaborators across disciplines and explore potential project ideas.
  • Bring together experts from a range of fields to form research consortia positioned to apply for the BBSRC-Defra funding call.
  • Promote the integration of a One Health Approach in the development of new vaccine technology platforms.

If you are interested in attending the workshop, please complete the Expression of Interest Form by 19 May 2025. Please note that places are limited, and applications will be assessed by representatives from BBSRC, Defra, BSI and IVVN.

Applicants will be informed of the outcome by 23 May 2025, along with further details regarding their participation in the event.

Further information about the workshop is available on our event page.

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For queries related to the funding opportunity, please contact: vaccinology [at] bbsrc [dot] ukri [dot] org

For queries related to the IVVN-BSI Workshop, please get in touch with the IVVN team at: ivvn [at] roslin [dot] ed [dot] ac [dot] uk