Funding calls

MRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) Winter Funding Call 2024

Scope

The aim of this programme is to speed up the transition from discovery research to translational development projects, providing pump-prime funding to ensure that fundamental science is translated into new therapies, diagnostics, and medical devices. We particularly welcome applications that include commercial partners.

Opens: 1 August 2024
Closes: 13 September 2024
Funding Commences: 1 November 2024
Amount: Up to £50,000
Project spend time:  Spend must be completed, invoiced and goods receipted by 30 September 2025  

Email drugdiscovery@le.ac.uk (cc lh28@le.ac.uk) with any questions you may have about your bid.

Before submitting your application, please read the funding terms and conditions below.

Key elements

Successful applications will:

• Have a clear scientific rationale supported by preliminary data
• Provide a clear line of sight to clinical utility
• Involve early career researchers
• Recognise potential for commercialisation.

Staff laboratory support

IAA projects can be supported by our highly skilled Leicester Drug Discovery and Diagnostics (LD3) team. Key skills within the LD3 workforce can help transition your project to the next technology readiness or funding level, and include:

• Cell Culture
• Protein expression and purification
• Protein-protein interactions
• Biophysical characterisations
• Crystallography
• Bioinformatics
• Microbiology
• Assay development and validation
• Molecular Biology
• DNA/RNA extraction
• Next Generation Sequencing/qPCR
• Lab accreditation support
• In-vivo study management and design
• Personal licence holder

You may also choose to work with an LD3 partner as a co-applicant.

Read more about our staff

What we cannot fund

• Entire translational projects – applicants seeking funding for project grants are directed to DPFS
• Industrial partner costs
• Staff between posts or funding
• PhD studentships
• Continuation of normal research grants
• Costs related to protection of intellectual property
• Staff exchange into a spin-out company of the host institution

Funding terms and conditions

• Proposed projects must remain on track and a half way project update report must be provided.
• If there are any significant issues with the project, these must be reported as they arise.
• If spend is not complete within the specified time frame, funds will be re-allocated unless a project extension has been agreed.
• As a requirement of MRC funding, we will follow up the progress of your project over the next 5 years, and we request that you continue to engage with the team for this term.
• Please ensure that you acknowledge the award and the Institute for Precision Health in any publications that arise from projects benefitting from MRC IAA funding.
• If LD3 staff have contributed to the success of your project, please ensure that publications include them appropriately in the authorship.
• If LD3 staff will be working in your laboratories to deliver the project, we require a risk assessment to be completed on their behalf, ensuring that they have access to all of the necessary safety information. If they are new to the lab/building, then lab/building safety inductions must be carried out as appropriate.
• If your project involves use of clinical samples, you must ensure that the correct governance and ethics procedures are in place prior to commencing your project.

Find out more about research ethics and governance at the University of Leicester (log-in required), and research and innovation within the NHS.

Please get in touch if there are any elements of your bid that you are uncertain about.

Submit your application to Email drugdiscovery@le.ac.uk (cc Dr Lynne Howells lh28@le.ac.uk)

MRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) Winter Funding Call 2023

Scope: The aim of this programme is to speed up the transition from discovery research to translational development projects, providing pump-prime funding to ensure that fundamental science is translated into new therapies, diagnostics, and medical devices.

Opens: 1 November 2023
Closes: 30 November 2023
Research pitch: 24 January 2024
Outcomes: 31 January 2024
Amount: Up to £30,000
Project run time: 8 months – Projects must end by 30 November 2024 (All grant items to be invoiced and goods receipted by end of November)

Projects that have industry links/commercial partners will be prioritised, with smaller pots of up to £10,000 ring-fenced for the development of new industry/UoL partnerships. Applications from early career researchers are particularly encouraged (there will be a ‘How to pitch your research’ event on the 24 November to align with this call).

How to submit your bid

This IAA call will close 30 November 2023. Funding commencing dates to be confirmed. 

Email drugdiscovery@le.ac.uk (cc lh28@le.ac.uk) with any questions you may have about your bid.

Before submitting your application, please read the funding terms and conditions.

Key elements

Successful applications will:

• Have a clear scientific rationale supported by preliminary data
• Provide a clear line of sight to clinical utility
• Involve early career researchers
• Recognise potential for commercialisation.

Staff laboratory support

IAA projects can be supported by our highly skilled Leicester Drug Discovery and Diagnostics (LD3) team. Key skills within the LD3 workforce can help transition your project to the next technology readiness or funding level, and include:

• Cell Culture
• Protein expression and purification
• Protein-protein interactions
• Biophysical characterisations
• Crystallography
• Assay development and validation
• Molecular Biology
• DNA/RNA extraction
• Next Generation Sequencing/qPCR
• Lab accreditation support
• In-vivo study management and design
• Personal licence holder
• You may also choose to work with an LD3 partner as a co-applicant.

Read more about our staff

What we cannot fund

• Entire translational projects – applicants seeking funding for project grants are directed to DPFS
• Industrial partner costs
• Staff between posts or funding
• PhD studentships
• Continuation of normal research grants
• Costs related to protection of intellectual property
• Staff exchange into a spin-out company of the host institution
• Conference travel

Funding terms and conditions

• Proposed projects must remain on track and a half way project update report must be provided.
• If there are any significant issues with the project, these must be reported as they arise.
• If spend is not complete within the specified time frame, funds will be re-allocated unless a project extension has been agreed.
• As a requirement of MRC funding, we will follow up the progress of your project over the next 5 years, and we request that you continue to engage with the team for this term.
• Please ensure that you acknowledge the award and the Institute for Precision Health in any publications that arise from projects benefitting from MRC IAA funding.
• If LD3 staff have contributed to the success of your project, please ensure that publications include them appropriately in the authorship.
• If LD3 staff will be working in your laboratories to deliver the project, we require a risk assessment to be completed on their behalf, ensuring that they have access to all of the necessary safety information. If they are new to the lab/building, then lab/building safety inductions must be carried out as appropriate.
• If your project involves use of clinical samples, you must ensure that the correct governance and ethics procedures are in place prior to commencing your project.

MRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) Spring Funding Call 2023

The aim of this programme is to speed up the transition from discovery research to translational development projects, providing pump-prime funding to ensure that fundamental science is translated into new therapies, diagnostics, and medical devices.

Funding

We will provide funding of up to £70,000 per project.

How to submit your bid

This IAA call will close on Friday 19 May, with funding commencing from 1 July 2023. All project spend will have to be complete by 30 June 2024.

Download the application document (docx, 61kb) and the IAA call outline (PDF, 253kb) and email the form and any supporting information to drugdiscovery@le.ac.uk (cc lh28@le.ac.uk) by 19 May 2023.

Before submitting your application, please read the funding terms and conditions.

Key elements

Successful applications will:

• Have a clear scientific rationale supported by preliminary data
• Provide a clear line of sight to clinical utility
• Involve early career researchers
• Recognise potential for commercialisation.

Staff laboratory support

IAA projects can be supported by our highly skilled Leicester Drug Discovery and Diagnostics (LD3) team. Key skills within the LD3 workforce can help transition your project to the next technology readiness or funding level, and include:

• Cell Culture
• Protein expression and purification
• Protein-protein interactions
• Biophysical characterisations
• Crystallography
• Assay development and validation
• Molecular Biology
• DNA/RNA extraction
• Next Generation Sequencing/qPCR
• Lab accreditation support
• In-vivo study management and design
• Personal licence holder
• You may also choose to work with an LD3 partner as a co-applicant.

Read more about our staff

What we cannot fund

• Entire translational projects – applicants seeking funding for project grants are directed to DPFS
• Industrial partner costs
• Staff between posts or funding
• PhD studentships
• Continuation of normal research grants
• Costs related to protection of intellectual property
• Staff exchange into a spin-out company of the host institution. 

Funding terms and conditions

• Proposed projects must remain on track and three-monthly project update reports must be provided.
• If there are any significant issues with the project, these must be reported as they arise.
• If spend is not complete within the specified time frame, funds will be re-allocated unless a project extension has been agreed.
• As a requirement of MRC funding, we will follow up the progress of your project over the next 5 years, and we request that you continue to engage with the team for this term.
• Please ensure that you acknowledge the award and the Institute for Precision Health in any publications that arise from projects benefitting from MRC IAA funding.
• If LD3 staff have contributed to the success of your project, please ensure that publications include them appropriately in the authorship.
• If LD3 staff will be working in your laboratories to deliver the project, we require a risk assessment to be completed on their behalf, ensuring that they have access to all of the necessary safety information. If they are new to the lab/building, then lab/building safety inductions must be carried out as appropriate.
• If your project involves use of clinical samples, you must ensure that the correct governance and ethics procedures are in place prior to commencing your project.

Find out more about research ethics and governance at the University of Leicester (log-in required), and research and innovation within the NHS.

Please get in touch if there are any elements of your bid that you are uncertain about.

Industry partnerships

The Institute for Precision Health has organised an industry showcase event at the Charnwood Campus on April 25. This is an ideal opportunity to showcase your research and start conversations with local life science industries. Find more information and register for the event.