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How to apply

Application, selection and award process

Applicants should complete an online application through IRAMS, which requests information about the principal applicant and any co-applicants or editors, a lay summary (non-confidential), a financial breakdown of your proposal (X5 report must be appended) and a case for support form uploaded to the IRAMS application system.   You must incorporate all requested components of the case for support into one document (see below) and upload this in the template provided on IRAMS as a PDF.

Guidance in the form of quick reference guide documents for applicants, departmental approvers and administrators can be found on Research Support pages.

Please note that applications must be reviewed and approved in IRAMS by a Departmental Approver before they will be reviewed by the Committee; the advertised application deadline is the deadline for final submission to the MLSTF Committee. Departments may set an earlier internal deadline to allow for departmental review, so please check with your local admin team and submit your application to your Departmental Approver in advance of the advertised deadline. 

Case for support

A case for support (four pages max.) and CVs (one page max. each PI & CoI) for all applicants named in the application must be appended to the IRAMS application form in addition to a comprehensive Gantt chart (1 page max). The case for support must include:

  • A 250-word abstract of the proposal requesting MLSTF funding;
  • Project objectives and proposed outcomes, including information about proposed development milestones and potential next steps following completion of the project to include, for example, sources of follow-on funding, plans for commercialisation;
  • A timeline for your project, aligning with milestones to demonstrate that these are realistic both in terms of the objectives set and the time necessary to achieve them; identification of ‘critical path’;
  • A justification for support explaining how your proposal is aligned with the remit and objectives of the Fund;
  • Details of any industrial engagement in your project and plans to advance this;
  • IP status: Are third parties involved and how will IP be managed with respect to these collaborators?
  • A description of any matched funding secured.

Download a Case for Support application form

How projects will be assessed

Projects will be assessed on:

  • strength of rationale;
  • quality of science;
  • un-met medical need;
  • future commercial opportunity;
  • IP position;
  • likelihood of developing a full proposal to be submitted to the MRC DPFS award scheme, or similar follow-on funding schemes, within the required timescale and budget.

Should ethics and/or home office approvals be required for the projects, priority will be given to those applications that already have these in place.

Applications will be reviewed by the MLSTF Committee, chaired by Dr Nessa Carey. Please note, the Committee membership comprises both internal academic and external commercial experts to ensure robust, vigorous review in line with funder recommendations. All external members are required to sign a CDA prior to reviewing applications.

The panel meeting is anticipated to be held on the week commencing Monday 12 June. Applicants will be notified by Saturday 15 July of the outcome.  Award letters will be sent out by August 2023. Work must commence within 2 months of the award letter or otherwise agreed with the TRO.

Further information

All potential applicants are encouraged to discuss their proposed projects with the TRO: translationalresearchoffice@medsci.ox.ac.uk.

Support videos are available on the TRO website.

The TRO can also assist with finding suitable collaborators and sourcing appropriate support and expertise through the Experts in Residence (ExIR) programme. The TRO have also produced a brochure containing information on the current Experts.

Applicants are also encouraged to discuss their proposal with Oxford University Innovation (OUI) well in advance of submission. OUI will be able to advise and support on the industry engagement and IP aspects of bids as well as the potential for match funding through the UCSF scheme. Figure 1 summaries the proposed MLSTF, Novo Nordisk Innovation Fund, Oxford Biomedica, and CRUK application process.

For any further information regarding this scheme please contact: translationalresearchoffice@medsci.ox.ac.uk

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