MRC PET neuroscience specialist postdoctoral training programme: pilot scheme
This call is now closed for applications and is only available for reference purposes.
- Background
- Objectives and remit
- Funding available
- Partnerships
- General features
- Training requirements
- Scientific details
- Networking
- Advice to applicants
- Assessment process
Background
PET is a technology of key importance for understanding physiology and pharmacological mechanisms and for translation through to the clinic. PET imaging techniques have good potential to provide payoffs in both diagnosis and therapy.
This call is for proposals of up to four years in duration for neurosciences research that depends on the use of PET imaging. The goal is to begin to address shortfalls in specialist post-doctoral training to enable skills development for molecular imaging. The call for proposals is under a pilot scheme that may be repeated if it is successful in attracting proposals of high quality that are suitable for funding.
The MRC held a workshop in May 2008 that identified two principal difficulties for PET imaging for research in the neurosciences. These were that:
- Major academic centres plan to establish or are establishing new PET centres in the UK even though difficulties already exist in recruiting scientists with the necessary radiochemical, analysis or applications expertise;
- It is difficult to develop or gain access to novel molecular probes for innovative applications of PET imaging.
Objectives and remit
The scheme is being run through the MRC Neurosciences and Mental Health Board (NMHB) and is intended to allow a suitably qualified post-doctoral researcher both to train in specialist PET-related disciplines and then potentially contribute towards the development of novel PET molecular imaging methodologies (for example, new molecular probes) that will benefit the neurosciences.
To be employed on these grants, trainee PET researchers are expected to have a PhD in one or more of the following scientific disciplines:
- chemistry
- neuropharmacology
- mathematics
Key elements will be:
- The provision by the host institution of a good training environment; and
- Evidence that following an appropriate period of basic skills training, the trainee will be ensured the opportunity for independent research using PET imaging in an academic or industrial scientific environment.
Each award will be made for up to four years, with at least two years specifically designated for basic skills training relevant to PET. After appropriate basic skills training, the following years would be designated for application of these acquired skills to a neuroscience imaging problem. These time periods are suggested as a guideline only; the NMHB will be flexible if a good case is made for a different approach to suit a particular project, candidate or environment.
Centres may request, as an integral part of their bids, limited funding to carry out expert reviews of the field to evaluate molecular imaging probe targets and applications and to determine what alternative radiotracer strategies are available. This work should be directed towards strengthening the rationale for any new molecular probe development being pursued under the auspices of this programme. The reviews are expected to be conducted in a scholarly fashion with outcomes that should be shared fully with the scientific community.
Further details are provided below, under general features, training requirements and scientific details.
Funding available
It is likely that up to three awards will be made during this pilot phase. Applications will be considered by NMHB at the meeting to be held on 23 and 24 July 2009.
Partnerships
Preference will be given to applications that can offer evidence of meaningful collaboration with industry or other partners who are able to add additional resources to strengthen the training component of the award or otherwise enhance potential for success.
Awards may be made either to the same or to different academic centres – this has not been pre-specified and will depend upon the quality of the proposals.
The MRC may consult the EPSRC if a proposal shows potential for joint funding. This will be done on a case-by-case basis. If you think that your application would be suitable for joint funding, please contact MRC and/or EPSRC in good time in advance of submission.
General features
- The goals of the pilot scheme are to build capacity in PET neuroscience, with a particular focus on needs in modelling and neurochemistry, and to enable new tracers to be worked up to a stage suitable for use in human experimental medicine, clinical trials or biomarker studies;
- Bids must come from university centres with clinical PET imaging resources for neurosciences that are already established or from centres that can provide evidence of an established partnership for regular agreed access to PET imaging facilities elsewhere;
- When seeking recruits to be post-holders, current PET centres should consider advertising as consortia linking more than one centre, to increase the range and quality of training and research expertise;
- Centres will be expected to advertise for, and interview post-doctoral candidates to take up the awards.
Training requirements
- Trainees should have PhD degrees in a relevant discipline (for example, chemistry/neuropharmacology/mathematics);
- Preference will be given to awards providing advanced training in modelling and medicinal/radiochemistry skills;
- Preference will be given to bids that will enable trainees to visit/ train in different centres to gain insights into different aspects of PET imaging, including the opportunity to train or work in an industry environment;
- Preference will be given to centres able to offer trainees a range of experience in neuroscience applications in areas that currently are strategically important, such as addiction, mental health and neurodegenerative disease.
Scientific details
- A substantial amount of the proposal must address a PET neurosciences problem. Applications that do not have a significant clinical PET component will be declined on the basis that they are ineligible;
- PET molecular probe development may be for experimental use in any area of the CNS neurosciences;
- Preference will be given to bids that have arrangements in place so that human volunteer or clinical studies can rapidly be conducted once molecular probe production is established;
- The programme is not intended to fund general synthetic chemistry for molecular probes or image analysis outside of the specific context of an immediate development plan for PET applications.
Networking
- Funded centres will be encouraged to form a network/ consortium to exchange scientific information and to promote links between trainees;
- A condition of the award is that centres will make information on synthetic methods and any toxicity or dosimetry information developed for new molecular probes fully available to other UK PET centres;
- Interaction with industry partners will be desirable.
Advice to applicants
- Applications outside the remit of the call will not be considered under this scheme. Should this happen, we will discuss with you whether or not your proposal is suitable for resubmission under one the MRC’s other schemes;
- Resource requests must be appropriate to the research proposed. Costings will be on a full economic costs basis, with MRC paying 80 per cent FEC
- Applications must come from university centres (including MRC units/ institutes) established in PET imaging or from centres that can provide evidence of an established partnership for regular agreed access to PET imaging facilities elsewhere;
- Where the MRC unit/institute is the lead applicant, if successful only the Directly Incurred costs will be awarded and these will be paid at 100 per cent. No other costs will be payable, however you must complete all financial sections of the application on the basis of 100 per cent FEC (which includes Directly Allocated, Estates and Indirect Costs) for comparative purposes;
- Applicants must demonstrate that they have access to any necessary clinical infrastructure;
- Applicants should specify how the research could either translate into potential patient benefit, or provide a foundation for translation;
- Applicants are asked to explain the involvement they have with patients and where applicable demonstrate the guidance that would be given to study participants, whether patients or healthy volunteers. This must include degree of involvement and how the intervention may affect their condition;
- The training and mentoring elements of the proposal must be clearly specified;
- The community-building elements of the proposal must be made clear.
Assessment process
Applications will be assessed by reviewers in May and June 2009. A specially convened review panel will meet to make triage decisions on the applications in June. Following the triage meeting, applicants will be contacted with the outcome. Applications will either be declined or go forward for consideration at the Neurosciences and Mental Health Board (NMHB) in July. The Panel’s triage decision is final and not open to appeal. For those proposals going forward to the Board, applicants will be invited to respond to the referee comments. The timeline for this will be relatively tight.
NMHB members will receive the applications, external reviewers’ comments and the applicant’s response. Awards by the Board at the July meeting will be made in competition with other proposals at the Board and only research proposals of high quality will be funded.
Final decisions will be made by the Board and applicants will be informed of the decision and provided with Board feedback in August. The Board’s decision is final and not open to appeal.
In addition to using the standard assessment criteria, where appropriate, key considerations for the Panel will be:
- Eligibility for the call;
- Quality and suitability of the research environment and of the facilities for the proposed work;
- Quality and suitability of the general training environment(s)
- Arrangements for mentoring of the post-holder once the grant-funded post is offered and accepted
- Evidence that following the award, the trainee will be ensured the opportunity for independent research using PET imaging in an academic or industrial scientific environment
- Suitability of the specific training proposal and project(s) for developing the trainee’s skills and career;
- Potential importance of the specific research being conducted as part of the training in terms of knowledge transfer or translation for patient benefit (taking into account novelty, timeliness, scientific value);
- Strength and clarity of any collaboration and the potential for collaborations to strengthen the PET community in the neurosciences
- Value for money.
If you have a query about this call please email
Email: grants@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk