GOSH BRC Advanced Treatments for Structural Malformation and Tissue Damage - Round 5 Knowledge Transfer Scheme (2022)

• Call opens: Wednesday 18 May 2022
• Call closes: Monday 27 June 2022, 14:00
• Review and awards made: mid-end July 2022

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) funds early translational research focused on paediatric rare or complex diseases, which aims to translate discoveries from basic/discovery science into clinical research and through to patient benefit and economic benefit. GOSH and UCL’s Institute of Child Health (ICH) were first awarded BRC status by the NIHR in 2007. In 2016, the GOSH BRC secured £37 million to take it into its third term, running from April 2017 to November 2022.

The BRC’s research aims to accelerate discoveries into the basis of childhood rare diseases and to develop new diagnostics, imaging techniques and treatments, including cellular and gene therapies, delivered through four research themes.

The theme for Advanced Treatments for Structural Malformation and Tissue Damage (ATSMTD) aims to pioneer advanced treatments and develop new devices to provide therapeutic options for children with congenital malformations and tissue damage. Our priority areas are driven by unmet needs to repair and reconstruct tissue in children with structural malformations and tissue damage through investment in translational platforms including stem cell bioengineering and an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) core platform to build capacity in regenerative medicine and to initiate first-in-child UK trials.

The ATSMTD Knowledge Transfer Scheme 2022 is designed to facilitate the transfer of key technologies, strengthen collaborations, or develop new partnerships through research visits to an external laboratory. The scheme will support clinical and non-clinical early career scientists with a PhD (or equivalent) to undertake a placement at an external laboratory, national and international. We expect placements would last from two to four weeks, with a maximum funding allowance of £5,000 per placement available. We anticipate funding 4-5 placements.

NIHR and NIHR GOSH BRC funding does not support any research using animals; therefore, the proposed visit must not involve any animal work.

You do not need to have had prior links with the BRC to be eligible to apply; applications are welcome from individuals who are new to the BRC.

• This call is open to clinical and non-clinical early career scientists with a PhD (or equivalent) employed by GOSH and/or ICH, or who are in receipt of salary support from GOSH BRC funding.
• Visits to both national and international laboratories are eligible (please see COVID-19 section for exceptions).
• For international visits, applicants will be required to seek permission from their employer, and evidence that in their application.
• Applicants cannot have been in receipt of the knowledge transfer award immediately from the previous funding round (2021), and cannot have held the award more than twice over the current BRC funding period (2017-2022).

Successful applicants will have 12 months from the award date to utilise the funds, i.e. travel to the lab must take place within 12 months from the award date. However, spend of major costs, i.e. flights, accommodation, and anything that can be pre-booked in advance (booking and/or raising of a purchase order (PO)) must be completed by 31st October 2022.

Ineligible use of funds

• This scheme does not support applications for travel to scientific meetings/conferences or for visits to give presentations and/or to search for positions of employment.
• This scheme cannot be used as a means of extending a position of employment, or studentship, beyond its normal termination date.
• Applications to support the cost of consumables will not be considered.
• Research visits that use animal models to learn new techniques/ for knowledge exchange purposes will not be considered, as NIHR and NIHR GOSH BRC funding cannot not support any research using animals.

Funds must be utilised within 12 months from the award date. Successful applicants will be required to report on the activities undertaken no longer than 3 weeks after the end of the visit.

We understand the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic to international travel. We will therefore apply a flexible approach, within limits of the GOSH BRC funding, to accommodate different requirements. If a trip is not possible due to COVID, we will do our best to facilitate it taking place at a later date but we cannot support any major (as above) expense claims after 30th November 2022, when the current round of BRC funding comes to end.

International trips will have to abide by national COVID guidelines and policies and those of the employing institution (GOSH/UCL). Candidates are required to undertake a risk assessment within their area of employment and seek permission from their employer for international trips, as appropriate. This includes quarantine requirements upon return (employing organisation’s rules for non-essential travel may vary for staff at GOSH and UCL, for example); allowable expenses for international travel in line with the candidate’s employing organisation; and insurance.

• For UCL guidance, please refer to this page: Covid-19 Travel | Procurement Services - UCL – University College London
• For GOSH guidance, please speak with your line manager and refer to COVID-19 hub on GOSH intranet pages.

A panel chaired by the ATSMTD Theme Lead will review applications. Please complete the application form and return to the BRC (BRC@gosh.nhs.uk). You do not need to register this project with R&D office, however, please include the R&D number and title of the project this visit will support/ you are currently working on.

All projects will be considered, but priority will be given to those which:

• Closely align with the ATSMTD theme strategy.
• Demonstrated the potential for successful collaboration or clear value of knowledge transfer to BRC mission (translation to the benefit of child health).

The deadline for this call is 2PM Monday 27 June 2022. Applications will be reviewed in mid-July and outcome communicated shortly after.

For any queries about this call, please contact Valerie Karaluka (BRC@gosh.nhs.uk).