Innovative Medicines Initiative
2 May 2008
A new European funding programme to improve the mechanisms for bringing new medicines to the marketplace, addressing safety and efficacy issues alongside training and knowledge management has been launched. The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) will present a unique opportunity for European public and private sector research organisations to work together on shared research objectives.
Over the ten-year lifetime of IMI, the European Commission will contribute one billion euros of research funding to academia, small and medium sized businesses (known as SMEs), patient groups and regulators. Industry will match this with in-kind contributions.
The first IMI call for expressions of interest has now been launched, and details are available at the IMI website. The proposed application timelines are very tight; consortia seeking funding will be asked to submit their expressions of interest by 15 July 2008. The final funded projects will start early in 2009.
MRC has earmarked £50,000 to help UK applicants with their travel and networking costs when preparing their expressions of interest
The European Commission’s IMI contribution is part of the EU Framework Programme 7 Health Theme budget. The UK National Contact Points for FP7 Health can be contacted with any queries about IMI:
Contact: Jill Jones
Medical Research Council
Telephone: 020 7670 5274
Email: jill.jones@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
Contact: Claire Horton
BetaTechnology Ltd
Telephone: 0870 191 0111
Email: health@fp7uk.co.uk
