Top Tips for a Successful Translational Research Grant Application…

 

1) Thorough background work

 

A translational research award is not a grant for pure research but rather specific funding to support the focussed progression of a project to a key stage such as proof of the therapeutic concept in a disease model, or the identification of a candidate drug.

 

It may be that your project is still some way from being ready to put forward for such an award. Most awarding bodies are at least looking for all of the following: compelling target validation; a robust set of assays to guide drug design; good chemical starting points (hits or leads)—or some means to identify these; and clear project plans including access to medicinal chemistry and pharmacokinetics expertise. One way of finding out whether you are ready to submit an application is to get a second opinion from a colleague, or from an organisation—such as Domainex—with experience in this field.

 

Domainex will be happy to give you a rapid feedback on your project ideas without any obligation on your behalf.

 

2) Decide how the project will be managed

 

Managing a complex drug discovery project is a skilled and time-consuming job, particularly if contributions from a number of different departments and contract research organisations (CROs) have to be coordinated, and don’t underestimate the paperwork that is involved! This may well be something that you will not want, or have time, to do yourself. Generally people with the right project management expertise have worked in industry, and this experience is looked upon favourably by the grant awarding bodies.

 

Domainex’s scientists have many years of project experience gained in large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

 

3) Plan your project fully, with reasonable and achievable milestones that will follow right through to a clinical candidate.

The project plan is an important part of the application that will be carefully scrutinised to ensure that it is realistic in terms of resources, timescales and budgets. Many applicants underestimate what is required, particularly in disciplines other than their own!  Being awarded a translational research grant is only the first hurdle: generally the funding will be structured in a number of tranches, and release of funds for the next stage of the project will be contingent upon the reaching of agreed milestones. These milestones therefore need to be comprehensive in scope, and carefully defined to ensure that they are challenging but realistic, and that they relate clearly to the overall objective of the project (for instance delivering a candidate drug).

 

4) Identify a good CRO early

 

It is very probable that you will need to work with a CRO to complement the expertise in your own laboratory.  Rather than being simply an “add-on”, a CRO which specialises in translational research can be a true partner in helping you with the application as well as a successful conclusion to the project.  For instance out of thirteen  funded Wellcome Trust Strategic Drug Discovery Initiative (SDDI) applications last year, nine were already aligned with a CRO (including Domainex) or other industrial partner.

 

How do you select your CRO? A good CRO will work as part of your team and be fully engaged in the project.  It will have a track record of success with translational research award applications, and in delivering clinical candidates.  The scientists will be high-quality individuals with enthusiasm, drive, and industry experience.  The company should demonstrate flexibility —a willingness to work with you to scope out the project, to perhaps start with limited resources and build-up to a full-scale project involving five or more scientists.

 

In many of the successful grant applications that Domainex has been involved with, the relationship between the academic researcher and us had been established for several months – or even longer- before the application was submitted.

 

5) Be aware of the submission deadlines

 

Typically the awarding bodies will only have two calls for applications each year, so missing a deadline will cost you six months delay in getting your funding. If you are working on a “hot” topic, this could lose your competitive position!  Working back from the deadline will tell you when to start putting your application together, and it is sensible to think about doing this no less than two or three months before the closing date.

 

The next closing date for the Wellcome Trust SDDI programme is May 21st 2010, and for the MRC Development Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS) it is March 18th 2010 — so now is a good time to start to get your application together!

 

6) Submitting the Application

 

The application guidelines are normally very clear and specify much of what is required.  Make sure that you emphasise the key pieces of information that makes your project stand out from the crowd. This could be something about the target itself (novelty, mechanism, first-in-class) or the chemistry starting points (protein crystallography, novel synthetically tractable hit matter etc).

 

A CRO with experience of translational research applications will be able to help you with the planning of the project, and with the writing of the proposal, drawing up budgets, etc.

 

Assuming that the application process has multiple stages,  having new results to disclose at each step of the review will show that you are maintaining the momentum on your project, and will help you to receive a favourable outcome. So do keep working on the project whilst the application is underway!

7) Take the first step

Contact one of Domainex’s business development team who can arrange for a rapid and confidential assessment of your target, and the current status of your project—at no cost and without obligation.  We will then be able to suggest to you how you can take your work forward into translational research.

 

Domainex is a specialist in translational research projects and has unique expertise in this field.  Our team is comprised of industry-experienced post doctoral scientists who have an exceptional track record in drug discovery.  We are familiar with a wide range of funding options, including the Wellcome Trust SDDI and MRC DPFS. Several universities also have funds to which you can apply for “pump-priming” activities, and we are used to liaising with these groups too.

 

So e-mail translationalresearch@domainex.co.uk or call (tel number +44(0)1732863259) today to make contact with a Domainex scientist who will be happy to advise you without obligation.