A partnership between Heriot-Watt and the University of Edinburgh has been awarded £700,000 under the Medical Research Council (MRC)'s new Biomedical Catalyst programme.
The awards, which were announced by Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts at the British Business Embassy's life sciences summit are designed to support UK academics and businesses on the vital first step in exploring the market potential of their early-stage scientific ideas.
Confidence in Concept awards
The MRC 'Confidence in Concept' awards totals £7.4m and will give universities grants to help them progress more promising research ideas towards clinical testing, allowing academic researchers to begin the process of turning a bright idea into a viable proposition. The Heriot-Watt/University of Edinburgh award is the second largest announced under the new scheme where universities have control over allocating the funding internally, allowing them to respond rapidly to new opportunities and have the flexibility to pursue the most promising translational research opportunities.
David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, said: "The UK's world leading life sciences industry is changing fast and we need to stay ahead of the game. The Biomedical Catalyst will help bridge the so-called 'valley of death' that exists between when a bright new idea is developed in the laboratory and the point when a new drug or technology can be invested in by the market. This will support our most innovative life sciences SMEs and academics, drive growth and benefit patients."
Dr Wendy Ewart, Deputy Chief Executive of the MRC, said, "The MRC's Confidence in Concept awards will empower leading UK universities to respond quickly to emerging translational opportunities as they arise. They will give academic researchers the opportunity to generate enough evidence to leverage further investment from a variety of sources to progress the best ideas, helping to bridge the gap between discovery and development."
Professor Alan Miller, Heriot-Watt Deputy Principal (Research & Knowledge Transfer), said, "This is another great example of collaboration between ourselves and Edinburgh University, in this case not only between institutions but across disciplines, to the benefit of both universities and of the wider community."
This is another great example of collaboration between ourselves and Edinburgh University, in this case not only between institutions but across disciplines, to the benefit of both universities and of the wider community
Professor Alan Miller, Heriot-Watt Deputy Principal (Research & Knowledge Transfer)The Biomedical Catalyst, announced by Prime Minister David Cameron in December 2011, is a programme of public funding designed to deliver growth to the UK life sciences sector. Delivered jointly by the MRC and the Technology Strategy Board, the Catalyst is a key feature of the UK Government's Life Sciences Strategy.