Confidence in Concept scheme
Flexible institutional awards for preliminary translational work
The Confidence in Concept scheme provides awards of £300k-£1m to institutions, to be used flexibly to support the earliest stages of multiple translational research projects. It is intended to accelerate the transition from discovery research to translational development projects by supporting preliminary work or feasibility studies to establish the viability of an approach.
The scheme’s budget was £8m for the first award round in 2012. The deadline for the next round of applications will be in mid-2013; more details will be released on this website when available.
The MRC Confidence in Concept Scheme is part of the MRC’s Translational Research Strategy and is a component of the MRC/TSB Biomedical Catalyst.
The MRC will continue to support preliminary work outside this scheme through flexibility in existing funding mechanisms, including milestone-based approaches.
- Aims and remit
- Awards and eligibility
- How to apply and timings
- Expected governance standards
- Assessment criteria
- Expectations and reporting requirements
- Contact
Aims and remit
Ensuring that fundamental science is translated into new therapies, diagnostics and medical devices is central to the MRC’s mission. The Confidence in Concept scheme aims to accelerate the transition from discovery science to the early stages of therapeutic/diagnostic development by providing locally-administered, responsive and flexible funding to support preliminary translational work.
The award can be used flexibly by the institution to support a number of preliminary-stage translational projects. The projects supported should aim to provide sufficient preliminary data to establish the viability of an approach – i.e. to provide confidence in the underlying concept – before seeking more substantive funding (e.g. from DPFS/DCS, TSCRC).
The funding is not intended to support:
- Entire translational projects; applicants seeking funding for entire projects are directed to the MRC’s DPFS/DCS scheme and TSCRC
- Staff between posts/funding (i.e. as “bridging” funds), or PhD studentships
- Continuation of normal research grants
- Costs relating to protection of intellectual property
Awards and eligibility
The MRC made £8m available for Confidence in Concept awards in 2012. Institutions may apply for an award between £300k and £1m.
Requests are expected to be proportionate to the added value that will be created by the award (with the unexploited potential that will be unlocked). We anticipate that only a small number of leading institutions will be awarded funding at the upper limit. Institutions requesting amounts towards the upper limit (£1m) are expected to demonstrate that the funding will bring about transformative benefits. Most institutions are encouraged to apply for lower value awards.
We anticipate that individual projects funded from an institution’s award will be of the order of £50-100k and around 6 months, although this will be dictated by the needs of each project.
Awards will be of 18 months duration. Successful institutions are expected to allocate funds to projects within the first 12 months of the award.
The normal MRC “response mode” eligibility rules apply; please see the applicants’ handbook and the Research Councils UK website. Only one application per institution is permitted. It is expected that applications will be led by one or more senior members of the institution (e.g. Dean of Medical School or equivalent).
Joint applications from groups of institutions are permitted – consortia may be able to demonstrate potential to add value that individual institutions cannot, and these joint applications may request higher levels of funding than would be considered justified for a single HEI (although within the £1m limit).
How to apply and timings
The next deadline for the Confidence in Concept scheme will be mid 2013; more details will be released on this website when available. Prospective applicants may wish to view the Confidence in Concept application form from 2012.
Expected governance standards
Institutions are expected to allocate funds transparently, and will be required to be able to explain the rationale behind decisions made.
Awards should be used to support the transition between fundamental and translational research, to a point where the project is competitive for more substantive funding. Awards must not be used for other purposes.
Assessment criteria
Applications will be assessed using the following criteria:
- Background scientific environment: does the institution have a significant amount of high quality discovery research where translation could be accelerated? Does the institution’s science offer opportunities in distinct areas not addressed elsewhere? This should include vignettes of example projects which might benefit from this funding.
- Translational environment/expertise: does the institution provide a suitable environment to support progression from preliminary into full scale translational projects? Will they provide expertise (including through links with industry) to help projects to develop appropriately? Do they have a convincing strategy for translation?
- Use, impact and governance: is the proposed use likely to make a significant difference, beyond what the institution already achieves? Will the university contribute additional funding or specialist advice/expertise? Does the proposed governance give confidence that the funding will be selectively allocated and managed to best effect? Are decision-making mechanisms based on high-quality expertise and experience in translation, and transparent?
Expectations and reporting requirements
The provision of a Confidence in Concept award is expected to lead to successful applications for more substantive funding, from DPFS/DCS, TSCRC or equivalent schemes from other funders, or from industry. Institutions will be required to report to the MRC on the projects awarded and their funding outcomes. Any potential renewal will be dependent on performance.
Contact
If you have any queries about this scheme, please contact Tom Foulkes:
Tom.foulkes@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk