The Office for Translational Research (OTR) provides complete translational project life cycle support. We are internal consultants who assess each researcher’s project in terms of where it sits in the translational pathway. We can then provide practical support in three major areas:
- Make the right connections for the stage of your project
- Source translational funding
- Provide project management support to ensure that specific translational goals are achieved
At the pre-award stage, we assess the project’s position in the translational pathway and the impact it will have on patients and their standard of care. Facilitation of translational research requires intricate interactions between various players and this is where OTR plays a key role. As local experts in conduct of translational research projects, we define the best way to progress projects by signposting to the appropriate internal/external infrastructure resources and subject specialists: clinicians, Experts in Residence, Clinical Research Organisations, Cambridge Enterprise, the Research Operations Office (ROO) or Clinical Trials Units (CTU) depending on each project. We are then in a position to identify the right funding scheme with the right partners at the right time for the project.
The OTR provides content for funding applications, guiding you on how to answer each question and budget advice to constitute a competitive funding application against the relevant funding body’s criteria ensuring you develop a persuasive narrative. We help to develop aspects of the application with which researchers may have less experience, such as Public and Patient Involvement, NHS adoption strategy or setting up a project plan with appropriate milestones.
During the active phase of the award, our pool of project managers ensure that milestones are met on time and within budget and liaise with the funder on reporting and requests for change. Towards the end of the award, the OTR can help refine the strategy in order to progress projects along the pipeline of commercialisation: interacting with Cambridge Enterprise for the creation of spin-outs, seed funds and licensing opportunities, impact and/or implementation in the clinic. Thus the OTR provides facilitation and project management continuity across the course of the project development.
Consequently, the OTR has established a relationship of trust with national funders (translational teams of the MRC and BHF for example), the three NHS Trusts and their R&D team, the Clinical Research Facility and the Cambridge CTU. We are thus embedded in the Cambridge ecosystem supporting the University in its leading role in the translational landscape.