BSI bioinformatics training places

• Full BSI membership for the funded period.
• Registration for one eligible online BSI bioinformatics course.
• Access to the associated self-directed learning materials and weekly online support provided by BSI.

The funding is paid directly to BSI. Successful applicants will not need to pay and reclaim the course fee.

The award does not cover salary, backfill, equipment, software, travel or accommodation.

You must select one preferred course in your application:

• Omic Data Analysis and Visualisation Using R
• Further Omics, Statistics and Clinical Data in R
• Essential Command Line Bioinformatics
• Single Cell and Spatial Omics

Please review the course descriptions and prerequisites on the BSI bioinformatics and R training webpage before applying.

The courses are delivered online. Applicants should plan to attend the live teaching where possible and must choose a course that is appropriate for their current level and research needs.

Kidney Research UK will first check that each application meets the eligibility requirements. Eligible applications will then be scored independently by two reviewers using the following published 20-point framework:

• Relevance and course fit - 5 points.
• Training need and additionality - 5 points.
• Expected application and benefit to Kidney Research UK-supported research - 5 points.
• Readiness and feasibility - 3 points.
• Wider benefit and knowledge sharing - 2 points.

To be considered appointable, an application must score at least 12 out of 20 overall, including at least 3 out of 5 for relevance and course fit and at least 2 out of 3 for readiness and feasibility.

Reviewers will declare conflicts of interest and will not assess applicants they directly supervise or with whom they have another material conflict. Large differences between reviewer scores will be moderated and an independent third reviewer will be used if required.

Applications meeting the quality threshold will be ranked. The ten highest-ranked applicants will be offered places and a ranked reserve list will be retained. Where applications are tied, the panel will consider training need, expected benefit to active Kidney Research UK-supported research, access to comparable training and an appropriate spread across Kidney Research UK awards and institutions.

Eligibility checking and assessment will take place in early December. We expect to notify applicants during the week commencing 14 December 2026.

Successful applicants will normally have five working days to accept their place. If a place is declined or not accepted in time, it may be offered to the highest-ranked suitable reserve applicant.

• Kidney Research UK will provide the minimum information needed for BSI to assign one of the funded memberships to you.
• BSI will send you the information needed to activate your membership and book your selected course.
• You will normally need to complete registration within 20 working days of receiving the BSI booking instructions.
• You must complete one eligible course within the funded period and tell Kidney Research UK promptly if you can no longer use the place.
• You will be asked to complete a short feedback and impact survey within one month of finishing the course.

Kidney Research UK will use the information in your application to check eligibility, assess your case for support and administer the selection process. If you are selected, we will share the minimum personal information necessary with BSI to arrange membership, course registration and proportionate monitoring of uptake and completion.

If you have any questions about the opportunity, eligibility or application process, please contact Lauren Hellewell, Data Science Programme Lead, at laurenhellewell@kidneyresearchuk.org.