*The MRC CiC call is now closed*
Joint Call: Wellcome Trust Developing Concept Fund (DCF) and MRC Confidence in Concept (CiC) 2024
Deadline for submitting full applications was on 21st October 2024!
The Cambridge Academy of Therapeutic Sciences (CATS) and the Office for Translational Research (OTR) would like to announce the opening of a joint DCF/CiC call. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to speed up the transition from discovery research to the development of new solutions for unmet clinical needs, ultimately benefiting human health. Remit includes drug discovery, the development of vaccines, cell & gene therapies, medical devices, diagnostics, as well as drug ‘repurposing’.
Funding of up to £50,000 (100% direct costs only) for a maximum duration of nine months is available. All University of Cambridge researchers are eligible to apply, but applications from Early Career Researchers must have their PI as a co-applicant.
To apply, fill in an Expression of Interest Form and one of our staff will e-meet with you before the deadline to discuss your proposal in more details. After the meeting, you will be provided with a full Application Form. Please, note that although the deadline for receiving a full application is 21st October, please allow plenty of time for setting up the meeting as well as for completing the full application with our feedback.
The MRC Confidence in Concept (CiC) scheme aims to pump prime translational research and accelerate the transition from discovery science to the development of products which will provide benefit to patients. It will fund preliminary work to establish the viability of an approach and to rapidly de-risk projects on the translational pathway. Its remit includes drug discovery, the development of vaccines, cell & gene therapies, medical devices and diagnostics, as well as drug ‘repurposing’.
In 2022, the University was awarded £1.5m for the first 3 years of MRC IAA funding to support the CiC scheme via the UKRI Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) scheme.
Applicants can apply for up to £50K and projects can last 9 months (only 100% direct costs will be funded). The purpose of these limits is to enable focused translational research which de-risks future funding applications. Exploratory, hypothesised based science will not be funded.
Overall, projects should be focused on developing a product which will provide a real patient benefit for a well defined unmet clinical need. There should be a clear project plan which is realistic in the timeframe and budget.
In addition, the proposal should have a clear development plan which may include:
- Follow-on funding (larger scale translational funding)
- An industrial collaborative project
- Spin-out
- Direct implementation into clinic
- Licensing of IP
Applications are invited from PIs and early career researchers (postdocs) employed in any University department. Applications from early career researchers must have their PI as co-applicant. As this is an internal call, submissions are direct to the Office for Translational Research and ROO submission deadlines do not apply.
For more details and initial discussion about your proposal please contact Dr Magda Gerigk.