medical research funding uk

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BMA Foundation

The BMA Foundation awards funds to encourage and further medical research. Our mission is to support medical students, doctors and scientists in their research aims and to help pioneer medical research.

Through the BMA Foundation, the BMA has been supporting medical research since 1839 and is the oldest medical organisation in the world to award grants and prizes to encourage further medical research. Thanks to the support of generous individuals, approximately 14 research grants totalling over £850,000 are awarded to medical students, research scientists and doctors each year. The grants provide funding for a variety of different subject areas, ranging from research into rheumatism and arthritis, to cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurological disorders.

Until 2020, the BMA Foundation for Medical Research consisted of four existing separate registered charities; the HC Roscoe Trust Fund (277391), the James Trust (233691), the British Medical Association Scholarship Trust Fund (245997), and the Joan Dawkins Fund (276097). The trustees brought together the charities under one formal, newly established Charitable Incorporated Organisation called the BMA Foundation . The objects of the new BMA Foundation focus on the overall advancement of health and the relief of sickness for the public benefit.

Online applications for the 2023 grant round is now open .

How to apply

Find out how to apply for funding from the BMA Foundation and see the assessment criteria

Details of the fund categories plus terms and conditions

As a charity, the BMA Foundation is fully reliant upon the generosity of individuals. Without the money received from donations the foundation would not be able to fund medical research and continually strive to make progress for future generations.

You can choose to donate to an area of research that is important to you. If you would like to specify an area of medical research, please let us know at the time of making your donation by contacting [email protected] , or calling 020 7383 6351.

Alternatively donations can be made to our general purposes fund. This will ensure that the BMA Trustees can use your donation to support the best research as it arises. It offers us the greatest flexibility to respond to important emerging research applications.

Ways to donate

Support medical research today. You can choose to make a one-off donation, or to give monthly.

Please note you will be re-directed to CAF donate, a third party provider. CAF donate have a privacy policy independent of the BMA which is available to view on their website.

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Complete our donation form and email it to [email protected] .

To make a donation by credit/debit card, then please call 020 7383 6351.

Your gift however large or small, could help fund the next clinical breakthrough.

Leaving a gift for medical research

The BMA Foundation grants are made possible through funding provided by generous donations and through legacies left to the BMA.

Making a donation or leaving a legacy is one of the most valuable and lasting ways you can support medical research.

We make sure we invest the funds sensibly to maximise the award money, so that your gift can continue to support medical research for years to come.

Leaving a gift to medical research

It is easy to leave a legacy for medical research. Simply instruct your solicitor to include in your will:

• 'For the British Medical Association for the purpose of medical research'
• Our registered charity number - 1192733
• Charity address: BMA Foundation, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP

If you are considering leaving a gift to the BMA Foundation, we would love to hear from you. Should you wish to fund a particular area of medical research, we can discuss your wishes and ensure that they are fulfilled.

Instead, you may choose to leave a legacy to our general purposes fund. This will ensure that the BMA trustees can use your donation to support the best research as it arises. It offers us the greatest flexibility to respond to important emerging research needs.

If you are thinking about writing a will, or updating your existing will, it is best to use a solicitor or professional will writer. Legacies are generally exempt from inheritance tax, so a gift in your will to the BMA Foundation could reduce the amount of inheritance tax your loved ones are liable for.

For more information, please visit the HMRC website.

Further information and codicil

Other funding resources

Listed below are some useful sources of information about funding offered by other organisations.

Research councils

Research councils are independent public bodies that distribute taxpayer-funded research, from postgraduate studentships to career development fellowships, research and programme grants.

See below for a list of the UK research councils:

• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
• Medical Research Council (MRC)
• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
• Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

The European Research Council also provides funding support to scientists undertaking research in Europe:

• European Research Council

Government-funded research

The Department of Health, and NHS National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) also support health and social care research:

Professional bodies

Many professional bodies and medical royal colleges also provide career development and research grants.

For a complete list of funding available visit   RDinfo

Medical research charities

Medical research charities also provide a significant amount of funding for medical research in the UK:

• Association of Medical Research Charities
• British Heart Foundation
• Cancer Research UK
• Medical Research Scotland
• Wellcome Trust

National Obesity Forum

The National Obesity Forum, partnered with Weight Watchers, offer an annual research award worth £8,000 for research into adult or child weight management.

Find out more

RDinfo: Digest of health-related research funding and training opportunities

Winners of the 1999 Healthcare IT Effectiveness Award for the 'Best Publically Accessible Database of Health-related Information', this database provides researchers with direct access to up to the minute information on health-related funding and training opportunities. It also contains a wealth of links to other funding organisations.

UK Research Office

The UKRO is a subscriber based organisation providing information and advice primarily to UK organisations about European Union funded opportunities for research and higher education.

The Grants Register

The Grants Register is a reference book published by MacMillan Reference Ltd which should be available in any good library. It is a comprehensive guide to worldwide professional and postgraduate funding.

European sources of funding

The following document provides an overview of the European funds that offer grants for health-related projects:

• European Funding Guide and FAQs  
• European funding brief 2016

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Please contact us with any queries or complaints you may have:   [email protected]   / 020 7383 6351.

Corporate development, British Medical Association, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP 

Email:   [email protected]

Tel: 0207 383 6341

Dr David Wong - 2022 Dawkins & Strutt grant winner

Phd-Study-In-Uk

• MRC PhD Funding – A Guide for 2023

MRC PhD Funding

Written by Marcus Holt

As the name suggests, the Medical Research Council (MRC) is the main source of Government funding to advance medical research in the UK. MRC PhD studentships ordinarily cover fees and maintenance as well as providing an additional support grant for research training.

This guide will explain how MRC funding works for PhD students, focusing on the different types of studentships, who is eligible and how to apply.

On this page

What is the mrc.

The MRC is one of seven Research Councils that make up UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Each council manages its own UK Government budget for training and research, some of which is allocated to PhD studentships.

The MRC support research across all of the medical sciences. Like other research councils, this research is carried out in universities. In some cases universities direct MRC-funded research within Doctoral Training Partnerships. However, the Council also maintains its own research units, institutes and centres within universities where it takes a more immediate role in directing ground-breaking research, including at PhD level.

Which PhD subjects does the MRC fund?

The MRC funds PhDs in all medical subjects, such as:

• Cancer Research and Treatment
• Cardiovascular Science
• Endocrinology
• Molecular and Cellular Medicine
• Neuroscience and Mental Health
• Public Health

There are also some interdisciplinary funding opportunities offered by the MRC in partnership with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) or the Biotechnology and biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) .

What PhD funding does the MRC provide?

The MRC funds around 1,900 PhD studentships each year out of budgets allocated to universities as well as MRC units, institutes and centres. A typical MRC PhD studentship has four main components:

• Tuition fee payment of £4,712 per year
• Doctoral stipend of £18,622 per year (additional money is available for students in London)
• Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) of £5,000 to cover cost of lab equipment and consumables
• Travel and conference allowance of £300 to attend and present at conferences

It's also worth bearing in mind that the value of both amounts rises annually with inflation, which means you'll get the increased amount in each subsequent year of your PhD. The above figures represent the amounts for 2023/24.

How is MRC funding allocated?

To receive funding, students apply to projects advertised by research organisations, such as universities or MRC units, institutes and centres. You don’t apply directly to the MRC for PhD funding.

Projects advertised by universities are offered within university Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) or as industrial Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering (iCASE) studentships. Other studentships schemes, such as the MRC integrative Toxicology Training Partnership (iTTP) in the Toxicology unit, are also available.

UKRI funding for other subjects

The funding opportunities described on this page are for Medical PhDs. Other members of Research and Innovation allocate their own Research Council studentships for different PhD subjects.

MRC Doctoral Training Partnerships

The MRC Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) are set up by individual research organisations or regional networks.

DTPs receive funding for certain number of PhD studentships from the MRC and use this to provide additional training and professional development opportunities.

MRC DTPs for 2024

Currently, the MRC funds the following DTPs:

Cambridge MRC Doctoral Training Partnership

Led by the University of Cambridge , along with the Babraham Institute.

Find out more about the Cambridge MRC DTP or browse PhD projects .

Discovery Medicine North (DiMeN)

Led by the University of Sheffield , along with the University of Liverpool , the University of Leeds and Newcastle University .

Find out more about the DiMeN DTP or browse PhD projects .

Great West 4 (GW4)

Led by Cardiff University , along with the University of Bath , the University of Bristol and the University of Exeter .

Find out more about the GW4 MRC DTP or browse PhD projects .

Imperial College London MRC Doctoral Training Partnership

Based at Imperial College London .

Find out more about the Imperial College MRC DTP or browse PhD projects .

Integrated Midlands Partnership for Biomedical Training (IMPACT)

Led by the University of Birmingham , along with the University of Leicester and the University of Nottingham .

Find out more about the IMPACT DTP .

King’s College London MRC Doctoral Training Partnership

Based at King’s College London .

Find out more about the KCL MRC DTP or browse PhD projects .

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and Lancaster MRC DTP

Led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , along with Lancaster University .

Find out more .

London Intercollegiate DTP

Led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine , along with St George’s University of London.

Manchester MRC Doctoral Training Partnership

Based at the University of Manchester .

Find out more aboput the Manchester MRC DTP or browse PhD projects .

Microbes, Microbiome and Bioinformatics (MMB) Doctoral Training Programme

Based at the University of East Anglia .

Find out more about the MMB DTP or browse PhD projects .

Oxford MRC Doctoral Training Partnership

Based at the University of Oxford .

Find out more about the Oxford MRC DTP or browse PhD projects .

Precision Medicine Doctoral Training Programme

Led by the University of Edinburgh , along with the University of Glasgow .

Translational Immunology, Inflammation and Cancer MRC DTP

Led by the University of Southampton , along with Queen Mary, University of London .

Trials Methodology Research Partnership (TMRP)

Led by the Medical Research Council.

Find out more about the TMRP DTP .

UCL-Birkbeck MRC DTP

Led by University College London , along with Birkbeck College .

Warwick MRC Doctoral Training Partnership

Based at the University of Warwick .

Each DTP has its own research themes that its studentships support, so it’s worth checking that these cover your area of interest.

Studying your PhD at an MRC DTP

The benefit of studying within a DTP is the focus on broader training and in most cases a partnership with other research organisations.

Although you will be studying primarily at the university you applied to, you will also have the option to spend time at other universities or institutions within the partnership. This will give you access to other facilities and widen your research opportunities.

Most studentships last 3.5-4 years full time, depending on the route you take. DTPs can either offer a 1+3 model with an incorporated MRes or a straight 3.5-4 year PhD.

• First year – Within the first few months you will meet your cohort and attend cohort building activities, orientation. Some DTPs may spend their first year undertaking lab rotations (periods of time spent in different laboratories and research groups). Overall, the first year mostly focuses on training in core skills.
• Second year – If you did rotations in the first year, you will now be starting your proposed PhD project and attend bespoke training tailored to your research topic. You will also attend more core training and workshops along with cohort activities such as conferences.
• Third year – By this point there is typically less focus on training and more time spend generating and analysing your findings. If you are doing a 3.5-4 year PhD this is where you may start writing up your thesis.
• Fourth (and final) year – You will now be finishing your analysis and writing up your thesis for examination.

Specifics on each programme can be found on the DTP websites, as they all offer slightly different structures.

Overall, you will be studying within a cohort of other PhD students, attending additional training, team building exercises and conferences together. Most DTPs have a student-led symposium programme where PhD researchers present their work in progress to the whole DTP.

MRC iCASE studentships

It is possible for some MRC PhD projects to be advertised as industrial Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering (iCASE) studentships. This is where a non-academic industry or business partners with a university to offer additional training and resources that you wouldn’t otherwise have access to.

Studying an iCASE PhD

Typically, the research project is developed between a university in an existing MRC DTP and an industrial partner. Such projects tend to focus more on potential commercial outcomes.

You will need to spend at least 3 cumulative months working within the facilities of the collaborator. Because of this, MRC iCASE students won’t normally complete lab rotations at the start of their PhD.

You will receive the same MRC funding for your PhD, but your industrial collaborator may cover additional costs for your research / equipment.

Although you may not follow the same programme structure, you are still part of the DTP cohort and will be able to access its training, workshops and symposiums.

MRC iCASE opportunities for 2023

iCASE studentships are usually awarded by universities in a DTP. You apply for an iCASE project through individual universities.

The best way to find an iCASE studentship is to check the details for the DTPs listed above, or search for advertised opportunities.

MRC Integrative Toxicology Training Partnership (ITTP)

Set up in partnership between academia, industry and government, ITTP studentships seek to build expertise in Toxicology and related subjects.

The two main aims are to: develop drugs, chemicals and consumer products and to improve risk assessment of risk to health resulting from environmental exposure. The ITTP is funded as part of an MRC investment in the Toxicology Unit (based at the University of Cambridge).

The Toxicology Unit is one of the MRC’s Institutes, Units and Centres which are led by an assigned expert scientific director to promote novel high-risk approaches to develop innovative methodology and technology.

You will study your PhD within the Toxicology unit and includes training opportunities to encourage development of academic research skills. As with other studentships, you will gain experience in written and oral presentation of your work, as well as toxicology-specific training.

MRC institutes, units and centres

In addition to the Toxicology Unit, the MRC funds several other named institutes, units and centres. These often exist within universities, or in close partnership with them, but carry out more specific research to a remit set directly by the MRC.

Some institutes, units and centres are set up through partnerships between the MRC and other medical research organisations. One of the flagship examples of this format is the Francis Crick Institute, set up by the MRC alongside the Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK and three colleges of the University of London.

There are over 40 different MRC institutes, units and centres . Many offer their own PhD training and funding opportunities.

Eligibility

Student eligibility for MRC PhD funding follows the same criteria as the other UKRI research councils.

Residency (and funding amounts)

• UK students who have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least three years will be eligible for a full studentship (covering fees and including the doctoral stipend).
• International students are also eligible for a full award. However, only 30% of the total number of awards available at a university may go to international students.
• EU students may be eligible for UKRI funding on the same terms as UK students if they have settled status in the UK or applied to the EU Settlement Scheme prior to 30 June 2021. EU students who arrive in the UK for a PhD from 2021-22 onwards may apply as international students.
• Irish students are eligible for UKRI finding on the same terms as UK students as part of the Common Travel Area .

Academic requirements

MRC-funded studentships are competitively awarded to the best applicants for each project.

The MRC expects applicants to hold a qualification at the level of a ‘good honours’ degree, usually a first or upper second (2.1) in a relevant BSc subject.

Having a Masters degree is not always necessary, as you will receive equivalent training during your first year, but an MSc or MRes may help offset a lower honours grade (2.2).

It is always a good idea to tailor your application for MRC funding, so check the background for each project and pay close attention to its specifications.

Working during a MRC studentship

Students in full-time work are not eligible for full MRC funding. If you are receiving a full studentship, the stipend should be enough for you to live off of.

You are allowed to work part-time. However, students in part-time work may only be eligible for a part-time award. After all, your PhD project is a substantial time commitment and has a large workload, particularly in medical subjects.

You cannot combine MRC funding with a PhD loan (or any other form of government funding).

Applications

Applications are not made directly to the MRC but to the research organisations that will host your PhD . These can be found on specific DTP websites, on the university websites or here on FindAPhD.

Advertised projects

Most MRC projects have a pre-defined project aim (such as an iCASE project). Applying for these PhD opportunities is a lot like applying for a job: you must demonstrate that you meet the requirements outlined in the project advertisement and will be a good fit for the position.

However, some MRC DTPs offer more flexible scholarships where you will spend the first year doing lab rotations after which you will submit a research proposal . There are a set number of scholarships and students are accepted on a competitive basis.

It is unlikely that a university (or other institution) will provide MRC funding to a student who has designed and proposed their project completely independently.

Application process

To apply for an MRC scholarship, you first need to find an advertised opportunity at a DTP or other institute with funding. Once you have found one you would like to apply for, you should read the description and prepare the necessary application materials.

You will usually need to include a personal statement (providing information on your academic background, experience and research interests), covering letter (demonstrating your suitability and your interest in the project) and CV with appropriate referees .

If your application is successful, you will then be invited for a PhD interview and given the opportunity to discuss the PhD with you in more detail.

Application deadlines

DTPs usually start advertising MRC studentships around September / October for the following autumn semester.

Here are the application deadlines for PhD studentships at MRC DTPs for projects beginning in the 2023-24 academic year:

• Cambridge – 5 December 2023
• DiMeN – 17 December 2023
• GW4 – 1 November 2023
• Imperial College London – 16 November 2023
• IMPACT – tbc
• Institute of Cancer Research – tbc
• King's College London – 8 November 2023
• LSTM – 9 February 2024
• London Intercollegiate – 16 January 2024
• Manchester – 10 November 2023
• MMB (East Anglia) – Deadlines vary depending on the project
• Oxford – 1 December 2023
• Precision Medicine – 15 January 2024
• Translational Immunology, Inflammation and Cancer – 14 January 2024
• Trials Methodology Research Partnership (TMRP) – 15 January 2024
• UCL-Birkbeck – 8 January 2024
• Warwick – 4 December 2023

The deadline for ITTP PhDs is 3 December 2021.

These are the deadlines for PhDs starting in October 2022 You can use them to get an idea of the deadlines for 2023 but they may change. You can sign up for our free PhD newsletter to stay up to date on new project advertisements and we’ll email you each week with updates.

MRC funding application tips

Applications for MRC funding are competitive. Here are some tips:

• Find out about potential supervisors – If you are applying to a DTP with rotations then you most likely will need to select some potential supervisors. It’s worth finding out what their research interests are so you apply to the ones that you also find interesting.
• Time to prepare – Application deadlines for the MRC are earlier than most other research councils so it’s important to make sure you have enough time to research the programmes and research areas.
• Make sure your CV is up to date – Having an up to date CV is critical for your PhD application. Also make sure its tailored towards a PhD with the MRC showing relevant research interests and extra-curricular activities.
• Choose good referees – References can be essential to your application. You should think carefully about who your referees will be and notify them that you intend on adding them to application. That way, your reference doesn’t get forgotten about.

Most DTPs will provide an expected timeline on when you should hear back about your application, when interviews are expected to take place and when successful candidates will be notified.

Search for MRC PhD funding

MRC projects can be found on the DTP and iTTP websites, or can be easily found here on FindAPhD. Also if you subscribe to our newsletter , you will be the first to hear about new listings and opportunities.

Further information

Check the MRC and UKRI websites for additional funding details.

Our postgrad newsletter shares courses, funding news, stories and advice

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A wide range of bodies fund health and social care research. It is vital to the success of your project that it is costed accurately. Your  local research and development office  can suggest suitable sources of funding, and advise you on costing your project. It is important to understand the distinctions between research costs, support costs and treatment costs and how they are provided. 

Applicants must secure any project funding required from bodies outside the NHS before submitting the applications to review bodies for approvals. Otherwise, if funding has not been secured, and the funding body later requires changes to be made to the proposal, these would require further review by the review bodies.

As outlined above, funding for research can come a variety of sources, including:

• commercial funders, including industry and private companies
• non-commercial funders such as government departments, research councils, charities, National Institute of Health in USA (NIH) and the European Commission.

It is important that the various types of costs of research are appropriately attributed in order to ensure that the appropriate funding arrangements are put in place. For funding queries related to a specific area of the country, please see the links below: 

• Northern Ireland

Below are links to some possible sources of further information (note this is not an exhaustive list):

• Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC)  is the national membership organisation for medical and health research charities. AMRC members support over one-third of all UK publicly-funded medical research in the UK, with members investing over £1.2 billion in health research in the UK in 2012.
• Chief Scientist Office (CSO)  offers a number of different funding streams to directly support health research in Scotland.
• Medical Research Council (MRC)  funds research through a range of grants, calls, highlight notices, studentships and fellowships.
• National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)  funds a range of programmes addressing a broad range of health priorities. Funding is based on the quality and relevance of the research to personal social services, public health and the NHS.
• NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC)  is part of the NIHR, manages a number of research programmes, including: Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation; Health Services and Delivery Research; Health Technology Assessment; Public Health Research; and Systematic Reviews.
• Health and Care Research Wales  is the Welsh Government body whose goal is to fund research that will inform care and improve the health and wealth of the people of Wales.
• Public Health Agency – Health & Social Care Research and Development Directorate (HSC R&D)  provides information about funding opportunities that are available to researchers working in Health & Social Care (HSC) Northern Ireland.
• UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC)  many different organisations fund health research in the UK. The UKCRC has developed a coherent approach to health research funding by providing a forum to coordinate the activities of funding bodies and by developing an evidence base to inform strategic planning.
• UK Research Office (UKRO) is the European office of the UK Research Councils. Activities include providing details on European Commission funding opportunities.
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UK secures £400 million investment to boost clinical trials

World-first public-private collaboration launched to kickstart economic growth and build an NHS fit for the future.

• Up to £400 million of investment will support faster patient access to cutting-edge treatments, strengthen clinical trials and improve medicines manufacturing in the UK
• 18 new clinical trials hubs will be created across UK to accelerate research

NHS patients will have earlier access to new treatments and the UK will become the home of cutting-edge health research as the UK government launches a joint public-private investment programme worth up to £400 million. 

The Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicine Pricing, Access and Growth ( VPAG ) Investment Programme opens today. It will channel significant investment into the UK’s health and life sciences sector over the next 5 years, boosting economic growth and the global competitiveness of the UK’s life sciences sector.

It is the first major public-private collaboration of this scale in the world and will strengthen the NHS through supporting innovative research, creating 18 new clinical trial hubs to fast-track the development of new medicines to patients. By streamlining processes, it will ensure that new treatments move swiftly from labs to wards, providing patients with faster access to cutting-edge treatments. 

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

This private investment is a significant vote of confidence in the UK and will fast-track the next generation of treatments to NHS patients. It will enhance the UK’s global competitiveness and transform the country into the epicentre of health research, supporting an NHS fit for the future. By cutting waiting lists and fixing our NHS, we can make it an engine for growth and build the healthy society needed for a healthy economy.

The funding will be channelled into key health and life sciences projects across the country to:

increase opportunities for patients to participate in commercial clinical trials: the programme will allocate 75% of its investment to expand the UK’s capacity and capability for commercial clinical trials. Up to 18 new Commercial Research Delivery Centres ( CRDCs ) will be established across the 4 nations to enhance and build upon the UK’s commercial clinical trials infrastructure and support patient recruitment into trials. Researchers will also have increased access to the latest equipment and technology to enable innovative trials to be designed across hospital and primary, community and residential care settings, bringing research closer to communities across the UK

create sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing innovation: around 20% of the funding will be directed towards sustainable manufacturing initiatives, promoting efficiency and reducing waste and emissions within the pharmaceutical sector. These efforts align with government and industry net zero goals, supporting the sector’s environmental commitments while enhancing the UK’s global competitiveness

support innovative Health Technology Assessment ( HTA ) approaches: the final 5% of the investment will focus on modernising HTA processes - a way to assess the cost and clinical effectiveness of new treatments - facilitating improved access to innovative medicines. This includes support for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence ( NICE ) HTA Innovation Laboratory and a new horizon scanning database - UK Pharmascan which provides information on new medicines coming to market-benefiting both patients and the wider health system

VPAG is a voluntary agreement between the Department of Health and Social Care ( DHSC ), NHS England and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry ( ABPI ), designed to improve patient outcomes, manage the NHS medicines bill, and support the life sciences industry. Launched as part of the scheme, additional investment from pharmaceutical companies will support implementation of the investment programme.

Richard Torbett, ABPI Chief Executive, said: 

The life science industry has the potential to deliver so much more for the UK - but to do this we need to fix the NHS, improve patient access to medicines and invest more in our critical science and regulatory infrastructure. This world-first investment programme puts industry money behind the government’s vision to make better health and science a driver of economic growth.

The investment programme supports the government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and improving the UK’s clinical trials will also help attract further global investment.

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

We are determined that the most effective new treatments are made available to NHS patients by ensuring the UK is the best place to discover and deploy new medicines, from early research through clinical trials to manufacture.  Investing in cutting-edge medicines research both boosts our economic growth potential and the prospect of new treatments and technologies for modern patient care. Support for clinical trials is integral to both.

Professor Lucy Chappell, DHSC Chief Scientific Adviser and CEO of the National Institute for Health and Care Research ( NIHR ), said: 

I am delighted that the Chief Scientific Advisers for Health across the UK are working closely together to bring potential new treatments from companies in the life sciences sector to patients. The NIHR Commercial Research Delivery Centres in England will be a vital part of the UK research delivery infrastructure to drive improvements in patient treatment and enable the NHS to deliver clinical research most effectively.

Neil Gray, the Scottish Government’s Health Secretary, said:

It’s more crucial than ever that patients in Scotland can safely access the most clinically and cost-effective medicines, as quickly as possible, and the VPAG Investment Programme will support our NHS to rapidly deliver truly innovative medicines and therapeutics to the people of Scotland.   There are also clear economic benefits with the life sciences industry, which is one of the growth sectors in the Scottish economy. I welcome the benefits that this type of public-private collaboration, through the VPAG Investment Programme, will bring in supporting growth of the life sciences industry in Scotland.

Mark Drakeford, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said: 

This investment programme is an exciting opportunity to further enhance the UK life sciences sector. We are delighted to play our part in this to advance the cutting-edge of pharmaceutical and technological developments, which will ultimately deliver real benefits to healthcare and patient care.

Mike Nesbitt, Northern Ireland’s Health Minister, said: 

I warmly welcome the launch of the VPAG Investment Programme as a world-first partnership between government and the pharmaceutical industry that will support life sciences across the UK.  The programme will help to tackle health inequalities in Northern Ireland by helping to improve equitable access to clinical trials and supporting access to new medicines that are both clinically and cost effective in improving patient outcomes.

Nicola Perrin, Association of Medical Research Charities Chief Executive, said: 

Clinical trials save and improve lives. They enable early access to innovative therapies and provide a lifeline to patients, particularly where no other treatment options are available. Given the significant challenges to embed research in the NHS, this new funding to build additional clinical trial capacity is welcome. The investment has the potential to make the NHS a more attractive place to undertake clinical research and trials, for the benefit of patients and the UK.

Background information

DHSC and the Office for Life Sciences in collaboration with the devolved administrations, NIHR , Innovate UK, NICE , ABPI and companies who are members of the VPAG scheme, have been working for months to prepare for the launch.

These initiatives closely align with the government’s life sciences plan, net zero targets, and the O’Shaughnessy review of commercial clinical trials .

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UK Charities: The Funding Giants of Medical Research

One notable quirk of the British life sciences ecosystem is the importance of its not-for-profit sector. Indeed, in 2017, UK charities poured GBP 1.6 billion (USD 2.1 billion) into medical research; more than both the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) – which each year commits GBP 100m to new research – points out that the importance of charities in the UK is deeply embedded: “The UK has a very long history and tradition in supporting charities. Famously, the first piece of charity legislation was the Statute of Elizabeth in 1601, so it is quite old as a legal concept.”

In the UK, when people want to help those affected by diseases like Alzheimer’s, they often go to charities rather than the state Hilary Evans, ARUK

On the enduring success of the British charity model, Hilary Evans, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK), notes that, “In the UK, when people want to help those affected by diseases like Alzheimer’s, they often go to charities rather than the state. They want to be involved in something and surround themselves with other people with the same mind-set.” Evans strongly feels that medical research charities fill a gap left by both the state and industry. “I don’t think there is a risk in leaving public health issues to the will of the people and donors,” she postulates. “It allows you to raise a huge amount of money to do things a little differently. I don’t think any government would do some of the things we’ve done, which have been very successful. We aren’t politically driven as any government funding would be, which allows us more freedom to be innovative.”

British research charities do not, however, exist in a bubble and can play a vital role in the research efforts of both industry and government. Aisling Burnand, CEO of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), posits that, “charity investment has a significant impact in its role as a lever that de-risks a particular area of research and opens it up for further funding.” She continues, “In many cases, charities identify an unmet patient need, where no one else is operating in that space, and then enter early on. That funding then de-risks the early-stage research, allowing other actors to come in. Sometimes it works the other way around and charities might piggyback on public-sector or private funding.”

The Charity-Industry Intersection

Another charity that has prioritized and formalized its industry collaboration is the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society. Its CEO, Michelle Mitchell, is keen to highlight the commonalities between charities working in the MS field and private companies developing treatments. “At a global level we work with the Progressive MS alliance. We have an industry forum and industry partnerships whereby, on a non-competitive basis, we all have something distinctive to contribute to achieving our goal, which is finding new treatments for progressive MS,” she notes. “We see the solution as charities, industry scientists and researchers working together.” Mitchell does though stress the need for transparency in these non-profit/for-profit collaborations, saying that, “it is important that we have the right type of relationship and that our relationship is thoroughly regulated. It has to be transparent and there should be no conflict of interest.”

The BHF’s Simon Gillespie is also cautious about greater industry interaction, noting that, “We have always traditionally had an arm’s-length relationship with industry. We don’t take money from industry and therefore we preserve our independence. In fact, preserving our independence of thinking and that trust from the public is essential to us.” However, Gillespie does acknowledge that the world of medical research is changing and, “Increasingly, as we are moving more into translational medicine and the clinical medicine space, we are bumping more often into industry. The last thing we want to do is get to a situation where we end up detracting from patient benefit. Industry is part of the solution and in the coming years, BHF will be much more public in recognizing that we have to work together.

New Strategies and Charity 2.0

Not only is the charity sector working more with private industry, it is taking its cues from it. As the AMRC’s Burnand notes, “We are now seeing charities behaving more like investors, with Parkinson’s UK and Alzheimer’s Research UK as examples. Such organizations are either putting in money to have more ‘shots at the goal’ by moving into the translational space while they might have historically worked more in the basic research space, or they are acting as ‘honest brokers’ and aligning investment from a variety of partners around an unmet patient need.”

Burnand also highlights charities’ adoption of new investment models, such as integrated funding. “Charities are starting to say things like: ‘we will invest this amount of money, but we would like to recoup a particular level of investment which will then go straight into funding more research,’” she articulates. “At the far end of the spectrum, you have models that work in a similar way to venture capital. Examples include Parkinson’s UK’s Virtual Biotech, the Brain Tumour Charity’s Brain Tumor Fund, and the Dementia Discovery Fund.”

Furthermore, the digitalization wave sweeping across the entire healthcare and life sciences industries has not left charities untouched. The AMRC has coined the innovative digital organizations operating in the charity space, ‘Charity 2.0’ and Burnand describes that, “This is still something relatively new and untested that we are all trying to grapple with, but we are seeing some promising new initiatives. Arthritis Research UK is trialing a chatbox-type technology to deliver tailored information at home and many new ideas were showcased at our ‘Delving into Digital’ conference in February. The conference showcased examples of digital projects including apps and artificial intelligence being developed by AMRC member charities and facilitated links with digital technology companies and public-sector representatives.”

Patrick Burton

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Action Medical Research

subtitle: Funding medical research, saving lives for 70 years

Paddington's favourite UK charity

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• current page Apply for a research grant

Apply for a Project Grant

Published on 23 January 2023

Updated: 7 March 2024

Project Grant applications

February 2024 call for 2024/5 awards - now closed.

This is an open competition round across our full remit. 

As part of this round, there are also opportunities for potential joint awards with Borne, Cystic Fibrosis Trust and DEBRA

  Call opened:   December 2023

Outline deadline:   Tuesday 27 February by 5pm

Full application deadline:   June 2024

Full outcome expected:   by the end of 2024

Spring 2023 call for summer 2024 awards - Now closed

Joint translational funding from Action Medical Research and LifeArc

Action Medical Research and LifeArc want to improve the lives of children suffering from rare disease and are working together to co-fund translational, rare disease research projects. Co-funding aims to accelerate promising, cutting-edge medical research that could have a significant impact on the treatment of infants, children and young people (CYP) with any of the >7000 heterogeneous conditions collectively called ‘rare disease’.

The joint fund will be used to support biomedical research projects from across the UK that have moved beyond a basic understanding of rare disease mechanisms into the development of an intervention (therapeutic, diagnostic, or device).

Call opened:  Early May 2023

Outline deadline:  Wednesday 14 June 2023 by 5pm

Full application deadline:  November 2023

Full outcome expected:  Summer 2024

May 2022 call for summer 2023 awards - NOW CLOSED

This call was for joint translational funding from Action Medical Research and LifeArc

The joint fund was used to support biomedical research projects from across the UK that have moved beyond a basic understanding of rare disease mechanism into the development of an intervention (therapeutic, diagnostic, or device).

Call opened: 12 May 2022

Full outcomes: Summer 2023

January 2022 call for November 2022 awards - NOW CLOSED

This was an open competition round across our full remit. 

As part of this round, there were also opportunities for potential joint awards with Borne .

Please scroll further down for information on the joint award opportunities including the call with Borne. There was a separate outline form for this part of the call.

Call opened:  January 2022

Outline deadline:  Tuesday 22 March 2022 by 5pm

Full application deadline:  July 2022

Full outcome: November 2022 to January 2023

We’re investing £1.7m into new research

We’re delighted to announce we’re investing £1.7 million into 12 new research projects as part of our 2024 grant round. We fund research that aims to improve diagnosis, monitor progression, and develop and test potential new treatments for muscle wasting and weakening conditions. This brings the total number of research projects we fund to 51. 

Funding a range of conditions   

Our new research projects cover a range of different conditions including desminopathy, periodic paralysis, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT)/SORD neuropathy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, mitochondrial myopathy, limb-girdle muscular dystrophies, myotonic dystrophy type 1, and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).   

Grant locations   

The new research grants reach across England and Scotland with new funding awarded to researchers in Cambridge, Glasgow, London, Newcastle, Nottingham and Teesside.  

Community involvement  

Involving the community in research projects is vital. People with lived experience of muscle wasting conditions should be involved in research as much as possible. We’re pleased that several projects we’re funding from 2024 will involve people with a specific condition in their studies. 

Expanding our research portfolio  

Our Director of Research and Innovation Kate Adcock said: “Every year we look to fund the highest quality research that will not only bring research forward but also improve the lives of people living with muscle wasting and weakening conditions. 

“We’re always delighted to fund research into a variety of conditions including those that we haven’t previously funded, or we haven’t funded for several years. This year is no exception, as we’ve seen an increasing number of conditions in our research portfolio, by funding research into periodic paralysis, CMT/SORD neuropathy and desminopathy.”   

Our 2024 grants  

• Dietary supplements as a potential new treatment for mitochondrial myopathies, University of Cambridge

Professor Rita Horvath and her team will test the use of a dietary supplement as a potential new treatment for people with mitochondrial myopathies. 

• Improving accessibility of bone density scanning for wheelchair users living with muscle wasting conditions, University of Glasgow

Dr Jarod Wong will lead a study involving people living with muscle wasting conditions and healthcare workers to improve the accessibility and performance of bone density scanning to make monitoring weak bones more straightforward. 

• Understanding how Duchene muscular d ystrophy affects brain function, University College London (UCL)

Professor Patrizia Ferretti and her team will look at brain cells from people with Duchene muscular dystrophy in order to improve our understanding of how brain function is affected in people with this condition. 

• Using state-of-the-art genetic sequencing techniques to find genes that cause limb-girdle muscular dystrophies, UCL  

Professor Henry Houlden and colleagues from UCL (and Newcastle University) will use state-of-the-art DNA sequencing techniques to identify genetic causes of limb-girdle muscular dystrophies in families who have no genetic diagnosis. 

• Developing a new gene therapy for periodic paralysis, UCL  

Dr Roope Mannikko and his PhD student aim to develop a new gene therapy to help prevent muscle weakening in people with periodic paralysis. 

• Developing a mouse model and treatment for SORD neuropathy, UCL

Dr James Sleigh and colleagues will use a mouse model of SORD neuropathy to test potential gene therapies for this condition. 

• Understanding the link between the shape of nuclei and DNA organisation in muscle cells from people living with laminopathy, UCL  

Professor Francesco Saverio Tedesco and his PhD student aim to understand if changes in the shape of nuclei in muscle cells of people with laminopathies cause the loss of organisation of DNA. 

• Developing a gene therapy for desminopathy, Newcastle University  

Dr Michael Keogh will be developing a new gene therapy for a type of myofibrillar myopathy called desminopathy. He will look to see if it’s harmful to muscle cells in laboratory settings. 

• Understanding the molecular processes that cause the progression of FSHD, Newcastle University

Professor Giorgio Tasca and colleagues will study muscle cells from people living with FSHD to look at whether specific genes are switched on or off and where within the cells this is happening. 

• AI and MRI: improving diagnosis of people with muscle wasting conditions, Newcastle University  

Professor Jordi Diaz-Manera and his team will enhance the diagnostic tool called MYO-Guide (already supported by MDUK), which brings together the power of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and artificial intelligence (AI), to diagnose even more conditions with high accuracy. 

• Understanding genetic variations in different tissues of people with DM1, University of Nottingham  

Dr Ami Ketley will use a new technique and computer analysis to look at different tissues in mice that have the same genetic information as people with myotonic dystrophy type 1 to understand what is exactly happening in the heart, brain and muscles. 

• Developing a gene editing technique as a potential treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Teesside University  

Professor Linda Popplewell and her PhD student will apply a new gene editing technique to try and develop a therapy for people living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This potential therapy could be suitable for many people with DMD, unlike other potential treatments that target specific regions of the DMD gene. 

We would like to thank our lay research panel and medical research committee for their time and expertise who help us with the selection and approval process of the research we fund. 

We fund groundbreaking research to learn more about muscle wasting conditions and lead us to new treatments. We’ve already made advances that would have been unthinkable just 10 years ago, and we are determined to go even further and faster.

Your contribution today, in any form, extends beyond financial support—it’s a pledge to join us. Together we fund groundbreaking research and life changing support for everyone affected by muscle wasting conditions.  

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Innovate UK: £12M funding awarded to advance innovative cancer projects

Twenty-three companies will benefit from a share of £12 million from the Innovate UK Cancer Therapeutics programme.

The Cancer Therapeutics programme focuses on developing life-changing cancer treatments, including immunotherapies and vaccines. It also supports projects addressing unmet medical needs for treating childhood and young persons’ cancers.

The investment from Innovate UK will drive both early and later stage innovations in cancer therapies, building on UK economic potential in this field.

Industry-led research and development

£11.3 million will be shared by 16 projects led by small and medium-sized enterprises at various stages right from feasibility through to regulatory approval.

Targeting ancient mechanisms and interfering with proteins

Stimulating the immune system to attack cancers has been a major breakthrough in cancer therapy, meaning some patients are now surviving previously fatal cancers. True cures have remained rare, however, and many cancers only respond minimally, if at all.

Momentous Therapeutics  has discovered a biochemical mechanism dating back to the earliest forms of life, that controls activation of the immune system. The company’s project is to develop a drug that releases this ‘biochemical brake’, realising the immense potential of cancer immunotherapy.

Revolver Therapeutics ‘ project will involve identifying tiny proteins, known as peptides, that can enter cells to prevent specific cancer-causing proteins from binding to DNA within a child’s brain tumour. This phenomenon is strongly associated with high-grade childhood brain and spinal tumours. It is hoped that by interfering with these DNA-binding proteins, these cancers affecting children can be treated.

Feasibility studies

Seven organisations will receive a share of £700,000 to complete feasibility studies to develop new approaches in cancer therapeutics.

The companies participated in Innovate UK’s  Oncology Accelerator , delivered by  Lean Life Science  in 2023 and co-funded by  Cancer Research Horizons . Through a closed feasibility competition, they received follow-on financial support from Innovate UK to assess the technical and commercial viability of their early-stage projects.

The projects cover a range of cancers, including pancreatic, ovarian and breast, as well as immunotherapies aimed at stimulating patients’ immune systems to find and destroy cancer cells.

Enhancing and transforming

One of the successful companies is  OligoTune . It will use its grant to enhance its immune system activating ribonucleic acid (RNA) technology to develop potent cancer therapies, aiming to improve the treatment of solid tumours.

Another,  Galytx , is developing novel and potentially transformative therapeutic drugs for the most aggressive cancers. Their project will help them to accelerate their development strategy.

Turning breakthroughs into real-world solutions

Dr Stella Peace, Executive Director for the Healthy Living and Agriculture Domain at Innovate UK, said: "We’re pleased to be supporting business-led innovation at various stages of development, from projects progressing from our Oncology Accelerator, to SME-led collaborative research. By driving business growth and supporting the development of transformative therapies, we’re enabling innovators to turn their breakthroughs into real-world solutions that make life better and fostering economic growth that benefits society as a whole."

Tackling cancer through innovative treatments

Minister of Science Patrick Vallance said: "Supporting researchers through this funding is an integral part of our mission to tackle cancer through innovative treatments that could benefit patients of all ages, and give innovative small businesses the support they need to scale-up the development of their groundbreaking ideas here, in the UK. With Government backing for projects at every stage, the UK’s life sciences sector will continue to be at the forefront of research that is producing ground-breaking therapies that could be transformative for the thousands of people struggling with the disease up and down the country."

Diversifying the pipeline of safe and effective therapies

Dr Karen Spink, Head of Medicines at Innovate UK, said: "We are excited to see the diversity of businesses that have been supported through our cancer therapeutics programme. The industry-led R&D projects will advance transformative treatments for a range of cancers, including those that affect children and young people. The early-stage feasibility awards will also enable the de-risking of promising innovations that have been nurtured through our oncology accelerator. Together, this portfolio of investments will diversify the pipeline of targeted, safe and effective therapies for cancer patients."

This article was first published on 28 August by Innovate UK. 

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UK secures £400m investment for medical manufacturing

Up to £400 million of investment will support faster patient access to cutting-edge treatments, strengthen clinical trials and improve medicines manufacturing in the UK.

NHS patients will have earlier access to new treatments and the UK will become the home of cutting-edge health research as the UK government launches a joint public-private investment programme worth up to £400 million.

The Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicine Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) Investment Programme opens today. It will channel significant investment into the UK’s health and life sciences sector over the next 5 years, boosting economic growth and the global competitiveness of the UK’s life sciences sector.

It is the first major public-private collaboration of this scale in the world and will strengthen the NHS through supporting innovative research, creating 18 new clinical trial hubs to fast-track the development of new medicines to patients. By streamlining processes, it will ensure that new treatments move swiftly from labs to wards, providing patients with faster access to cutting-edge treatments.

The funding will be channelled into key health and life sciences projects across the country to:

• increase opportunities for patients to participate in commercial clinical trials: the programme will allocate 75% of its investment to expand the UK’s capacity and capability for commercial clinical trials. Up to 18 new Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDCs) will be established across the 4 nations to enhance and build upon the UK’s commercial clinical trials infrastructure and support patient recruitment into trials. Researchers will also have increased access to the latest equipment and technology to enable innovative trials to be designed across hospital and primary, community and residential care settings, bringing research closer to communities across the UK
• create sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing innovation: around 20% of the funding will be directed towards sustainable manufacturing initiatives, promoting efficiency and reducing waste and emissions within the pharmaceutical sector. These efforts align with government and industry net zero goals, supporting the sector’s environmental commitments while enhancing the UK’s global competitiveness
• support innovative Health Technology Assessment (HTA) approaches: the final 5% of the investment will focus on modernising HTA processes – a way to assess the cost and clinical effectiveness of new treatments – facilitating improved access to innovative medicines. This includes support for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) HTA Innovation Laboratory and a new horizon scanning database – UK Pharmascan which provides information on new medicines coming to market-benefiting both patients and the wider health system

“It will enhance the UK’s global competitiveness and transform the country into the epicentre of health research, supporting an NHS fit for the future. By cutting waiting lists and fixing our NHS, we can make it an engine for growth and build the healthy society needed for a healthy economy,” said Wes Streeting, Health and Social Care Secretary.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-secures-400-million-investment-to-boost-clinical-trials

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£12 million funding awarded to advance innovative cancer projects

28 August 2024

Twenty-three companies will benefit from a share of £12 million from the Innovate UK Cancer Therapeutics programme.

The Cancer Therapeutics programme focuses on developing life-changing cancer treatments, including immunotherapies and vaccines. It also supports projects addressing unmet medical needs for treating childhood and young persons’ cancers.

The investment from Innovate UK will drive both early and later stage innovations in cancer therapies, building on UK economic potential in this field.

Industry-led research and development

£11.3 million will be shared by 16 projects led by small and medium-sized enterprises at various stages right from feasibility through to regulatory approval.

Targeting ancient mechanisms and interfering with proteins

Stimulating the immune system to attack cancers has been a major breakthrough in cancer therapy, meaning some patients are now surviving previously fatal cancers. True cures have remained rare, however, and many cancers only respond minimally, if at all.

Momentous Therapeutics has discovered a biochemical mechanism dating back to the earliest forms of life, that controls activation of the immune system. The company’s project is to develop a drug that releases this ‘biochemical brake’, realising the immense potential of cancer immunotherapy.

Revolver Therapeutics ‘ project will involve identifying tiny proteins, known as peptides, that can enter cells to prevent specific cancer-causing proteins from binding to DNA within a child’s brain tumour. This phenomenon is strongly associated with high-grade childhood brain and spinal tumours. It is hoped that by interfering with these DNA-binding proteins, these cancers affecting children can be treated.

Feasibility studies

Seven organisations will receive a share of £700,000 to complete feasibility studies to develop new approaches in cancer therapeutics.

The companies participated in Innovate UK’s Oncology Accelerator , delivered by Lean Life Science in 2023 and co-funded by Cancer Research Horizons . Through a closed feasibility competition, they received follow-on financial support from Innovate UK to assess the technical and commercial viability of their early-stage projects.

The projects cover a range of cancers, including pancreatic, ovarian and breast, as well as immunotherapies aimed at stimulating patients’ immune systems to find and destroy cancer cells.

Enhancing and transforming

One of the successful companies is OligoTune . It will use its grant to enhance its immune system activating ribonucleic acid (RNA) technology to develop potent cancer therapies, aiming to improve the treatment of solid tumours.

Another, Galytx , is developing novel and potentially transformative therapeutic drugs for the most aggressive cancers. Their project will help them to accelerate their development strategy.

Turning breakthroughs into real-world solutions

Dr Stella Peace, Executive Director for the Healthy Living and Agriculture Domain at Innovate UK, said:

We’re pleased to be supporting business-led innovation at various stages of development, from projects progressing from our Oncology Accelerator, to SME-led collaborative research. By driving business growth and supporting the development of transformative therapies, we’re enabling innovators to turn their breakthroughs into real-world solutions that make life better and fostering economic growth that benefits society as a whole.

Tackling cancer through innovative treatments

Minister of Science Patrick Vallance said:

Supporting researchers through this funding is an integral part of our mission to tackle cancer through innovative treatments that could benefit patients of all ages, and give innovative small businesses the support they need to scale-up the development of their groundbreaking ideas here, in the UK. With Government backing for projects at every stage, the UK’s life sciences sector will continue to be at the forefront of research that is producing ground-breaking therapies that could be transformative for the thousands of people struggling with the disease up and down the country.

Diversifying the pipeline of safe and effective therapies

Dr Karen Spink, Head of Medicines at Innovate UK, said:

We are excited to see the diversity of businesses that have been supported through our cancer therapeutics programme. The industry-led R&D projects will advance transformative treatments for a range of cancers, including those that affect children and young people. The early-stage feasibility awards will also enable the de-risking of promising innovations that have been nurtured through our oncology accelerator. Together, this portfolio of investments will diversify the pipeline of targeted, safe and effective therapies for cancer patients.

Further information

Industry-led research and development projects, antikor biopharma ltd.

Antikor’s innovative better penetrating antibody-drug conjugates are being applied to ovarian cancer to potently activate the immune system more safely, for better patient outcomes.

Funding award: £496,767

Cell Guidance Systems Ltd

Using microscopic protein drug crystals to turn white blood cells into Trojan horses to more effectively treat cancer.

Funding award: £302,786

Coding Bio Ltd

Novel messenger RNA-based cell therapy for childhood brain cancer.

Funding award: £606,814

Epitopea Ltd

Extending focus to stromal cells (which cancer cells use to help them grow and evade the immune system) and using these for vaccines and biologics against breast cancer and beyond.

Funding award: £501,408

Grey Wolf Therapeutics Ltd

Developing novel treatments for colorectal cancer patients by unmasking a novel set of ‘hidden’ tumour proteins for more effective targeting by the immune system.

Funding award: £498,557

Lentitek Ltd

Next-generation lentiviral production to enable advanced therapies, including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell immunotherapy for childhood malignancies.

Funding award: £295,025

Medannex Ltd

Collaboration with world-leading scientists and clinicians to prepare for clinical trials of a promising new medicine for childhood bone cancer.

Funding award: £231,040

Mestag Therapeutics Ltd

Mestag’s investigational cancer therapy triggers a specialised local immune response, resulting in potent anti-tumour activity preclinically, even in cancers that are typically unresponsive to therapy.

Funding award: £1,534,440

Momentous Therapeutics Ltd

Developing drugs targeting a most fundamental, ancient mechanism controlling immune activation, which will turbo-charge immune attack of tumours.

Funding award: £1,996,194

Pathios Therapeutics Ltd

Developing drugs to block a receptor (GPR65), unleashing the immune system to attack devastating brain tumours such as malignant glioma.

Funding award: £475,743

Prokarium Ltd

Cutting-edge bioengineering will create safe Salmonella bacteria that target tumours with customisable anti-cancer payloads, giving patients access to a new class of cost-effective treatments.

Funding award: £317,691

QV Bioelectronics Ltd

Creating implants to treat childhood brain cancer, aiming to help young patients live longer and improve their quality of life.

Funding award: £343,260

Revolver Therapeutics Ltd

Identifying tiny proteins, known as peptides, that can enter cells to shut down DNA-binding proteins strongly associated with high-grade childhood gliomas.

Funding award: £551,639

Sferola Ltd

Sferola Ltd is developing next-generation nanotechnology for paediatric brain tumours and partnering with University of Leeds to test its potential in their state-of-the-art preclinical models.

Funding award: £409,040

Theolytics Ltd

A novel phase one clinical trial for a next-generation oncolytic therapy targeting treatment of platinum-resistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

Funding award: £1,993,042

VacV Biotherapeutics Ltd

Developing a novel treatment for colorectal cancer using cancer cell-killing viruses, to eradicate tumours and prevent recurrence by boosting immunity to cancer cells.

Funding award: £499,486

Feasibility projects

Creasallis ltd.

Taking an initial proof of concept in a cancer model, using antibody-based therapeutics for solid tumours, to expand on their indications to accelerate a therapeutic towards clinical validation.

Funding award: £99,917

Galytx is developing novel and potentially transformative therapeutic drugs for the most aggressive cancers. This project will accelerate Galytx’s development strategy.

Funding award: £99,682

Kargenera Ltd

The incidence of liver cancer is increasing faster than any other cancer in the UK. Kargenera is developing a new immunotherapy to tackle this devastating disease.

Funding award: £99,479

New Path Molecular Research Ltd

Making and testing novel molecules which have potential to treat pancreatic cancer and colon cancer to optimise their efficacy and reduce side effects.

Funding award: £99,835

OligoTune Ltd

Enhancing RNA technology with immune activation to develop potent cancer therapies, which aim to improve treatment for solid tumour patients.

Funding award: £98,218

Proteotype Diagnostics Ltd

Urine-based ‘multicancer early detection at home’ test using amino acid biomarkers already validated in plasma.

Funding award: £99,998

Xgenera Ltd

Optimisation and advanced development of miONCO-Dx, a blood-based, multi-cancer diagnostic test.

Funding award: £99,852

Top image:  Mestag’s MST-0300 induces localised immunological powerhouses of anti-tumour immunity, leading to potent, orchestrated tumour cell killing in preclinical models. Credit: Mestag Therapeutics.

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