The John Innes Foundation primarily supports plant and microbial science, especially research and training that can improve agriculture, genomics, and climate-resilient farming. It is a strong backer of early-career development through bursaries, PhD studentships, and fellowships, with a clear emphasis on Norwich Research Park and the wider UK research ecosystem. The Foundation also makes targeted strategic investments in collaborative research infrastructure and applied solutions, rather than broad open-ended philanthropy.
Mix of competitive research grants and fellowships, named/strategic program grants, and highly targeted student support. Applications for general research grants are reviewed three times per year, while some fellowships are invite-only and strategic initiatives do not accept unsolicited proposals. Grants range from full tuition/stipend support for individual students to a major 5-year institutional grant.
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Check the specific program carefully: general JIF Research Grants and Fellowships have three annual deadlines, but strategic grants are invite-only and not open to unsolicited applications. Applicants should align proposals tightly to plant/microbial science, agriculture, genomics, or climate-resilient farming, and early-career or training-focused projects appear especially competitive.
Current and upcoming funding from John Innes Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Projects must support education, research, enterprise or public engagement in plant and microbial science in line with the Foundation’s charitable aims. Full eligibility details are provided in the Guidance for Grant Applicants document.
Deadline: Applications are considered three times a year: 31 January, 30 May, 30 September.
Who can apply: Applications must support the Foundation’s charitable aims and full eligibility criteria are provided in the guidance document. The Foundation says funding is typically directed toward strategic partnerships and programmes delivered through institutional partners.
Deadline: 31 January, 30 May, and 30 September each year
Who can apply: UK national; from a non-farming background; financial need; enrolled on a full-time three-year BSc (Hons) in Agriculture, Crop Production or Environmental Science (may extend to second/third year students in some cases); must pursue UK-based career after graduation. Shortlisted applicants required to provide third-party financial audit evidence.
Deadline: Historically an annual closing date (example: 31 October 2025 mentioned for 2025 intake).
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.