Manchester awarded £500,000 through Biomedical Catalyst

The University of Manchester was one of the 14 universities to receive a grant from the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Technology Strategy Board under the joint £180 million Biomedical Catalyst fund, (Labmate UK & Ireland, Sept 12). The first funding round recipients were announced in August by Universities and Science Minister David Willetts.

In Manchester, the £500,000 award will be used to accelerate progress in translating discovery science in areas of key strategic importance to the University and MRC such as cancer, inflammation, regenerative medicine, women’s and children’s health, medical genetics, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders.

Dr Graham Cadwallader, Director of the Research Deanery in the University’s Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, said: “This is an extremely timely and welcome initiative from the MRC that will see much-needed funding invested at the earliest stages of translational research. The £500k will help to unlock the potential for progressing some of the most promising concepts emerging from our basic science portfolio and place them firmly on the pathway to the development of novel therapeutics, diagnostics and devices of medical importance.”

Dr Wendy Ewart, Deputy Chief Executive of the MRC, said: “The MRC’s Confidence in Concept awards will empower leading UK universities to respond quickly to emerging translational opportunities as they arise. They will give academic researchers the opportunity to generate enough evidence to leverage further investment from a variety of sources to progress the best ideas, helping to bridge the gap between discovery and development.”