Secure Translational Funding
The Translational Research Office (TRO) manage a number of devolved funding streams targeting early stage proof-of-concept projects and have extensive knowledge of the UK translational funding landscape. We can help source the most appropriate funding scheme for projects and ensure that the most compelling cases for support are generated. Securing funding enables projects to progress along the translational path, de-risking future investment.
KEY ACTIVITIES
The TRO administrate translational proof-of-concept funding through the Medical and Life Sciences Translation Fund (MLSTF). The fund is open to all University of Oxford researchers and provides consolidated internal proof of concept funding for translational medical and life sciences projects. The next call will open in Spring 2023.
The TRO also identify the most appropriate external grant funding source for a project. A few of the translational research funding schemes available to researchers are:
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Award |
Application deadline(s) |
Comments |
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Fight for Sight / Versus Arthritis Small Grant Award
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Deadline: 13 September 2023, 13.00 |
Up to £15,000 for up to 12 months. Focussed on research addressing arthritis and visual impairment. Intended to be used to collect preliminary/pilot data to make research ideas more competitive when developing larger follow-on funding applications. These awards offer funding for early career clinical or research scientists to conduct stand-alone research projects. |
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LifeArc Gene Therapy Innovation Fund
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Deadline: 15 September 2023 |
Supporting the development of potential gene therapies from preclinical through to early exploratory trials — including the manufacturing and clinical costs for developing these further. This unique package allows the technologies to remain in academia for optimal development and from where it is more likely to attract follow-on investment. |
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Versus Arthritis Early Detection and Targeted Treatments 2024
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Deadline: 27 September 2023, 16.00 |
£100,00 to £1,200,00 for up to 60 months. Focus on two research priority areas from the Better Lives Today, Better Lives Tomorrow Research Strategy 2022-26: |
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MRC Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS)
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Applications now closed. Panel meeting on 13 & 14 September 2023. Next call for OUTLINE applications opens: 13 October 2023 Deadline for OUTLINE applications: 22 November 2023 Full-stage applications by invite only. |
Panel meeting 13-14 September 2023. If you plan to collaborate with an industrial partner, please check the following guidance: MRC Industry Collaboration Framework (ICF) – UKRI
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BBSRC Follow-on-Fund and super Follow-on Fund: 2023 round 2
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Deadline: 4 October 2023, 16.00
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Follow-on Funding (FoF) for applications with prior BBSRC funding, to help bridge gaps between early stage bioscience research and innovation with achieving wider commercial, economic and societal benefit. |
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MRC Development Pathway Gap Fund (DPGF)
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Applications now closed. Panel meeting on 14 September 2023. Next call for applications opens: 6 October 2023 Deadline: 15 November 2023 |
Funding for early-stage development of new healthcare interventions to generate critical preliminary data to build confidence in the development strategy for a new medicine, repurposed medicine, medical device, diagnostic test, or other medical intervention development. The Gap fund sits beyond the smaller and shorter Impact Accelerator funding and before the substantive and longer Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme. |
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Race Against Dementia and Rosetrees Team Award
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FULL stage call opens: 30 October 2023 Deadline: 18 December 2023 |
Established group leaders are invited to apply for this new award, £750k over 5 years, towards exceptional and transformative dementia research to take it to the next level. Initial expressions of interest will be invited through Rosetrees Flexigrant portal. |
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UKRI cross research council responsive mode pilot scheme: round 1
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Outline applications now closed. FULL stage call opens late November 2023 Deadline: 8 February 2024 |
Designed to support interdisciplinary ideas emerging from the research community outside current disciplinary boundaries. Funding of £200k to £1.2m for projects lasting up to two years. Two-stage application process. |
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Call opens: 4 September 2023 Deadline: 9 October 2023 |
8 weeks part-time, online programme helping early-stage research teams to make the first steps into market discovery. |
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Call opens: 16 October 2023 Deadline: 10 November 2023 |
Up to £35k to ‘get out of the lab’ and validate commercially promising ideas in the marketplace, over 12 week period. |
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Action Medical Research and LifeArc joint translational funding
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Outline applications now closed. Deadline for FULL stage: November 2023
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Up to £250,000 for up to three years. Applications should address a significant, unmet need for children and young people with rare disease, with a focus on development of targeted gene therapy. Two-stage application process. |
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Deadline for OUTLINE stage: 13 December 2023 and 19 June 2024 Full-stage applications by invite only. |
Up to £750k for projects lasting up to three years that address an unmet healthcare need in heart and circulatory disease. |
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Therapeutic Catalyst - Cancer Research UK
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Open until awarded. |
Up to £250k for projects lasting up to 18 months. Drug discovery proposals, including, but not limited to: - Deconvolution and validation of novel targets and pathways with clear therapeutic potential - Novel therapeutic approaches to validated targets - Development of platforms, assays and screens to identify novel cancer therapeutics or targets. |
The TRO supports developing robust project plans and compelling applications for funding. Our Translational Research Managers can support grant writing activities, provide project management support and advise on long-term translational research strategies.
The TRO works closely with Oxford University Innovation (OUI), the Medical Sciences Business Partnerships Office (BPO) and University of Oxford's Research Services (RS) to ensure appropriate expertise and advice is sought at key stages in project development.