The Medical Research Council (MRC) are now inviting applications for the MRC IAA award.

The MRC IAA is a key part of MRC’s translational research strategy. It is intended to accelerate the transition from discovery research to commercialisation, by supporting preliminary work or feasibility studies to establish the viability of an approach.

Ensuring that fundamental science is translated into new therapies, diagnostics and medical devices is central to both the MRC’s and the university’s mission. The MRC IAA replaces the Confidence in Concept Awards.

Applications for awards must be used to support investigations that are designed to make the transition from fundamental discovery science to a point along the clinical translational research pathway.

Projects must demonstrate that once complete they would be eligible for the next stage of translational research funding, supported by other externally funded schemes, for example: MRC Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS), National Institute for Health and care Research (NIHR) Invention for Innovation (i4i), Wellcome Trust Innovation schemes or charity led translational funds (e.g., British Heart Foundation).

The funding available for each successful project is up to £75k per project.

An application workshop will be held on Wednesday 31 August 2022, from 9.30am – 11am on University Park campus. Please contact Kevin.hughes@nottingham.ac.uk to secure a place.

The deadline for applications is 4pm on Monday 26 September 2022.

Projects will be required to start from 1 January 2023 and should complete no later than 31 December 2023.

More details, including the application form and guidance, can be found on the Knowledge Exchange Hub’s MRC IAA page.

If you have any questions, please contact Kevin.Hughes@nottingham.ac.uk (Translational Healthcare Portfolio Manager).