funding

QED CONSULTING: UK BIO-ENTREPRENEUR SCHOOL-Tuesday 10th-Thursday 12th March 2009

Bio/medical scientists and Biotechnology developers who would like to develop an entrepreneurial career or whose science, product or service may show commercial potential are being invited to apply for 30 fully-funded places on the 2009 Bio-Entrepreneur School hosted by BioCity Nottingham.

We are also offering paid places for people who are already employed as researchers or managers in well-established businesses to help develop their entrepreneurial careers and prepare for innovation and growth.

The School, which is now in its third year, takes place from 10 to 12 March 2009 and is delivered by QED Consulting. Funding is provided by the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) through the Greater Nottingham Partnership, with sponsors including patent experts Adamson Jones, accountants PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Nottingham City Council, UKTI, Nelsons, La Playa, and Connect Midlands. 

Anyone interested in applying should visit www.bioentrepreneur.co.uk and submit their details as soon as possible. The first selection of delegates will take place in December 2008. The deadline for applications is 12th February 2009.

NC3Rs and BBSRC funding priority area – Tissue Engineering Solutions
for Replacing Animal Experiments

NC3Rs and BBSRC have launched a new funding priority area for 2007 to encourage research into tissue engineering solutions for the replacement of animal experiments. In particular, collaborative work developing and characterising tissue models with respect to the practical and scientific needs of researchers currently working with animal models (or researching into non-animal alternatives) is encouraged.

Further information can be found at www.nc3rs.org.uk/tissueengineeringpriority or www.bbsrc.ac.uk/science/areas/crosscommittee/tissue_eng_replacement.html including contact details for discussing your research ideas.  Researchers who wish to develop ideas in this area are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (max 2 pages) identifying -

• Research aims
• Predicted contribution to replacing animal experiments
• Summary of project plan
• Added value to UK’s portfolio in this area
• Cost

The deadline for the submission of Expressions of Interest is Friday 20 October 2006. Proposals can be funded by BBSRC or NC3Rs. All applications must demonstrate the potential to replace animal experiments. Those at the more fundamental or theoretical end of the spectrum would be more appropriate for BBSRC while those which anticipate outcomes of more immediate applicability to replacement would be more appropriate for NC3Rs. Applications to BBSRC may include some objectives that are broader than replacement, although the main thrust of the research aim should be replacing animal use. Applications to NC3Rs would need to be entirely focused on tissue engineering solutions for replacing animal use.

Expressions of Interest will not be assessed on their scientific quality, but BBSRC and NC3Rs will decide if applications fit the call and will ensure that applicants are advised of the most appropriate funder for the research. Full applications will be invited to the BBSRC responsive mode deadline of 10 January 2007 or the NC3Rs deadline of 14 February 2007.