Aberdeen Confidence in

Concept Fund

Prof Phil Hannaford

Vice Principal – Research & Knowledge Exchange

Strategic Aims

• Increase research income• Increase translational activity• Impact of research• MRC CinC aimed at increasing translation from areas

of key strengths in biomedical and clinical research particularly:• Infection inflammation and immunity (particularly

medical mycology)• Dietary and Metabolic Health

Translational Commitment

• Major investment in key research areas

• Investment in supporting facilities (imaging, drug development, trials design etc.)

• Excellent basic research – unfulfilled translational potential

Translational successes• MRC CinC to allow us to repeat past successes such

as

• BBSRC translational funding

• Wellcome translational funding

• Spinout successes

• NovaBiotics

• Sirakoss

• GT Biologics

MRC Confidence in Concept

• Application in 2014

• Prepare projects for translation

• Fully realise potential of world class science

• University committing matched funding

• Improve translational funding application rates

What was awarded?

• £200k

• University to provide additional support and resource

• Must support projects in the key strategic areas

• Up to £60k per project

Applications call open

• Applications welcomed in key areas:

• Infection, Inflammation and Immunity (especially Medical Mycology)

• Dietary and Metabolic Health

In Scope

• Transformational activities for basic research

• Outputs to be:

• Applications for translational research funding e.g. MRC Biomedical Catalyst (DPFS) , Wellcome Trust, other major charities

• Further industrial funding / development/ partnerships

Dr James Duncan Research & Innovation

The application process

1st Call• Call open

• Call closes 1st May

• Funding decision end of May

• Project start expected 1st July

• http://www.abdn.ac.uk/staffnet/research/governance-3212.php

• 2nd call August 2015 if not all funding allocated

Further information

• http://www.abdn.ac.uk/staffnet/research/information-for-applicants-3213.php

• Completed application form about 6 pages

• Answer all questions fully

• TTO endorsement required

Potential example projects• small-scale pre-clinical or

clinical studies, especially those involving dietary intervention or repurposing of existing licensed drugs;

• in vivo studies designed to demonstrate efficacy or to support a clinical study;

• generation of antibodies;

• synthesis of ligands for assay development or inhibitors for target validation

• optimisation of hit compounds;

• synthesis of radioligands for PET studies;

• generation and development of assays and animal models of disease;

• screening against targeted libraries.

Out of scope• Entire translational

projects

• Administration costs

• Industrial partner costs

• Staff between posts/funding (i.e. as “bridging” funds), or PhD studentships

• Continuation of normal research grants

• Costs relating to protection of intellectual property (note that IP costs for awarded projects will be supported by match funding from the University)

Good Luck