Translational Call 2025

Call Open: 4th September 2024 

Deadline: 16:00 Wednesday 16th October 2024 

Costs: Up to £200,000 

Duration: Up to 24 months 

Funding Decision: June 2025 (following full application stage) 

Contact: awards@versusarthritis.org  

Focus

We aim to fund research that is driven by the needs of people with arthritis and has the greatest potential to improve the quality of their lives. This call for applications is for translational research projects that are developing novel, innovative technologies to address an unmet clinical need for people with arthritis. Translational research cuts across all aspects of our research strategy and therefore applicants can submit projects which address any of our priority areas.

What are we looking for?

This call is seeking to support high-quality Proof of Concept projects that aim to develop a commercially viable technology which will benefit people with arthritis. The funding should advance technologies along the developmental pathway leading to further investment and/or development by industry. It is expected that projects will have been developed to a stage where further validation of the technical, market or commercial concept is required to attract commercial investment.

In this initiative, we seek to fund projects in the following technology areas:

  • Medical devices
  • Orthotics
  • Implantable therapeutic delivery
  • Diagnostics
  • Imaging technologies
  • Cell therapy and regenerative medicine
  • Novel therapeutics (small molecules or biologics)

Who can apply?

  • The lead applicant must be based at an eligible UK institution.
  • One applicant must have a tenured position within the lead institute.

Applications with industrial partners are encouraged. Applicants with proposals that include part-funding from a third party (including industry) are allowable, but applicants should contact us to discuss their application as early as possible and will be subject to appropriate multi-party contracting arrangements around the award. International collaborators and people with lived experience may also be included as co-applicants.

For further information please see the associated call document.

What you can apply for

  • Costs for salaries, expenses and small items of essential equipment can be requested.
  • Awards of up to 24 months duration, to a maximum of £200,000 
  • This scheme will fund reasonable costs associated with carrying out a pilot clinical or feasibility study however later stage or large clinical trials will not be funded.

For further details on what you can apply for, please see the associated call document.

How to apply

This call has a two-stage process for funding. Applicants will be invited to submit Outline Applications through Grant Tracker when the round opens on September 4th 2024. You will be asked to provide a short description of your project, as well as information on Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement and relevance to the charity. You will also need to show that you have engaged with your Technology Transfer Office and have considered the route to commercialisation for your technology.  The deadline for receipt of Outline Applications is 16:00 on Wednesday the16th October, 2024.

Outline Applications will be assessed by a panel, and applicants will be notified in December if they have been invited to submit a Full Application. 

If you have any questions about the call, 

please email: awards@versusarthritis.org