Funding
The Innovation Hubs are able to support funding applications for gene therapy research projects. This page outlines some of the routes that academics are able to seek grants to support their research. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your application with the Innovation Hubs.
LifeArc Gene Therapy Innovation Fund
The LifeArc Gene Therapy Innovation Fund is a £5m annual fund for gene therapy technologies – and includes support from the world-class network of Innovation Hubs for Gene Therapies as part of LifeArc’s Rare Disease Translational Challenge.
The fund provides grants to academic researchers working to advance new gene therapies, and who require material manufactured to GMP (or GMP-like) grade to support the programme. Successful projects will be awarded funding to enable them to access the manufacturing capabilities of the Innovation Hubs for Gene Therapies.
For more information, including eligibility criteria and how to apply, click here.
About the Fund
The fund provides grants to academic researchers working to advance new gene therapies and who require material manufactured to GMP (or GMP-like) grade in order to support the programme. Funding is awarded for academics to use the manufacturing capabilities of the Innovation Hubs for Gene Therapies, and closely associated work. This is likely to include manufacturing process development, process scale-up, development of analytical methods, production of technical batches and batches manufactured in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice (“GMP”) guidelines, to support regulatory studies and/or clinical trials.
Application eligibility
- Applications should be for an academic-led gene therapy project requiring manufacturing services that can be provided by one of the Innovation Hubs for Gene Therapies.
- Applications may involve a collaboration with other academic partners or industry. Any non-academic partners must provide identifiable project support and appropriate collaboration agreements or heads of terms should be in place.
- The project must fit within the scope of LifeArc’s Rare Disease Translational Challenge, and so the must address a significant, unmet healthcare need for a rare disease or condition.
- The project must have a strong scientific rationale, be target-driven, with a credible delivery plan and milestones, and have a clear route to patients. It must be at an appropriate stage of development to benefit from the expertise of the Innovation Hubs, i.e., be suitably advanced to justify expert manufacture services.
- We encourage applications that include co-funding from other LifeArc funds, other funders, or medical research charities.
- The funding is philanthropic and LifeArc does not ask for any return on revenue, or a share of intellectual property. The academic lead must demonstrate access to required background IP and freedom to operate for the therapy to be developed.
- Lead applicants may only submit one application per round.