UK life science SMEs could win access to the latest technologies and high-level scientific support worth up to £50,000 in a competition launched by the Rosalind Franklin Institute
The winning company will take part in a 12-week residency starting in April 2023, working with Franklin scientists to use technologies at the cutting edge of the field. The competition is open to any life sciences company wholly based in the UK with fewer than 50 employees and a research problem that Franklin technologies could help to tackle over the 12-week period. The opportunity is particularly relevant to SMEs, start-ups, spin outs or micro-entities in the pharmaceutical, diagnostics, imaging, agricultural, chemistry or food technology fields.
Up to 20 companies will be shortlisted and invited to take part in a workshop held at the Franklin’s Harwell campus in mid-December 2022. At the workshop, they’ll be able to discuss their ideas with Franklin scientists, to help them develop a full project plan to be submitted by the end of January 2023. The winner will be selected in the middle of February, with the residency to begin in April.
The Franklin will cover costs directly for access and instrument use, consumables used on site and for pre-agreed travel and accommodation costs. The value of the residency will depend on the technology used, but is likely to range between £10-50K. All intellectual property generated during the residency will reside with the SME.
To be considered, companies must submit an expression of interest by 22 November 2022.
“Our remit is to develop new technologies to transform life sciences – and how better to do that than through helping one of the UK’s many life science SMEs? Not only is this an amazing opportunity for the winning company, but it allows us to test out the new technologies we’re developing and understand better how they could be used in different scenarios. This is a great chance for a company working on a small molecule, on biologics or nucleic acids – but there are also many other possibilities where our technologies could make a difference. We’re excited to see the ideas that companies put forward and to see how we can help.” Director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, Professor James Naismith.
More information on the competition and entry requirements can be found here.
