Wellcome Trust University Translation Awards

April 2003 Memorandum Issued By:
Catherine Quinn, Director of Research Services, University of Oxford
Tom Hockaday, Executive Director, Isis Innovation Ltd

The Wellcome Trust has announced details of its new University Translation Awards scheme. This follows the establishment in March of the Trust's Technology Transfer Division, which has replaced Catalyst BioMedica Limited as the Trust's internal exploitation arm following a review of Catalyst in 2002.

University Translation Awards (UTAs) are grants designed to assist universities advance new ideas that have commercial promise in the biomedical area by filling the funding gap between academic research and its commercial exploitation. The research behind the idea proposed for development through a UTA does not necessarily have to have been funded by the Trust.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis from May 2003 onwards. Awards will be available for any amount up to £300K, including pilot projects up to £50K. Projects covering any aspect of technology development applicable to the biomedical sciences will be considered, providing they address a defined need in healthcare.

The Wellcome Trust requires that UTA projects be handled in conjunction with the host institution's technology transfer company, in Oxford's case, Isis Innovation Limited. As project proposals will have to be worked up by researchers in collaboration with Isis Project Managers, the timescales for approval of UTA applications will differ to those for research grant applications, although some aspects (such as the preparation of an OG and checking of costs for projects incorporating University-based R&D) will involve the usual Research Services protocols.

Details of Internal (University) Application Procedures

The Wellcome Trust has also recently announced its Strategic Translation Awards scheme, which will be targeted at specific Trust-funded technologies. Applications to this scheme will be invited by the Trust on a restricted basis. Researchers approached about this scheme are asked in the first instance to contact Research Services through Catherine Quinn, Director (T: 270158), Pierre Espinasse (T: 270043) or Grace Garland in the case of clinical departments (T: 553 222604).

Catherine Quinn, Director

Research Services
T 270000
F 280467
E catherine.quinn@admin.ox.ac.uk
W www.admin.ox.ac.uk/rso/