MRC Confidence in Concept (CiC) 2018 launch event and networking lunch

The University of Manchester has secured funding from the sixth round of the MRC Confidence in Concept (CiC) scheme.

The Confidence in Concept scheme is a key part of the Medical Research Council’s (MRC) translational research strategy and provides annual awards of £250k-£1.2m 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.

An information event for CiC 2018 has been scheduled for 31^st January to share experience from the previous rounds of the programme and provide guidance to potential applicants on how to prepare a competitive CiC proposal.

The event will be opened by Vice Dean for Research & Innovation, Professor Nigel Hooper, and other speakers include Dr Charlotte Durkin from the MRC, Dr Sam Butterworth from the UoM’s Discovery Pathway Advisory Group (DPAG), UoM/CiC Programme Manager Dr Anu Suokas, and Dr John Stageman from Bionow.

The event will finish with an Advice Session and an opportunity to get feedback on your translational project ideas including applications for DPFS funding. There are a limited number of slots and these are likely to fill up quickly due to popular demand – please see the Advice Session booking details below.

Please book your seat for the CiC 2018 launch via Eventbrite: 

Please book a 10-minute Advice Session slot by emailing annette.barber@manchester.ac.uk and indicate who you wish to speak to
(please see the list below).

Indicative agenda

13.00 – 13.30:     Buffet lunch

13.30 – 14.40:     Opening and presentations:

• Welcome and introduction:
  Vice Dean for Research & Innovation Prof Nigel Hooper, FBMH
• MRC Translational Funding:
  Dr Charlotte Durkin, MRC
• Process, timelines and guidance for the CiC 2018 Programme:
  Dr Anu Suokas, UoM/CiC Programme Manager, Strategic Funding Team
• Advice for early translational studies:
  Dr Sam Butterworth, FBMH Discovery Pathway Advisory Group (DPAG)
• Industry perspective on translational research:
  John Stageman, Bionow

14.40 – 14.55       Question and answer session

15.00 – 16.00      Advice session – PRE-BOOKING RECOMMENDED – please see the Advice Session booking details above

10-minute advice slots available to discuss your translational project ideas including applications for DPFS funding

• Dr John Stageman/BioNow: translational research, commercialisation
• Dr Sam Butterworth/UoM: translational research, commercialisation
• Dr Charlotte Durkin/MRC: translational pathway and DPFS funding
• Dr Anu Suokas/UoM: CiC scheme and application queries

MRC Confidence in Concept (CiC) scheme 2018: Call details will be made available soon and prior to the event.