AstraZeneca Translational Science Centre / Karolinska Institutet : Joint Research Program
Call for Pre-Proposals for Translational Science Research Project Grants
The AstraZeneca Translational Science Centre at Karolinska Institutet (AZ-TSC) is in operation from
1st July 2012. During the autumn of 2012, the AZ-TSC will identify and initiate up to ten open
collaborative research projects to identify and qualify biomarkers for translational science.
Collaborative research projects will begin in earnest in early 2013. All PIs active at the Karolinska
Institutet are eligible to apply for this competitive funding.
The aim of the research program is to identify and/or qualify biomarkers which can support the
treatment of diseases of major unmet medical need, in neuroscience, cancer, respiration,
inflammation, metabolism, cardiovascular disease or infection. Biomarkers for drug metabolism and
for toxicity are also relevant.
From a drug development perspective, biomarkers are methods fit-for-purpose to diagnose/select
patients and/or predict the outcome of patients in relation to drug therapy. The identification
and/or qualification of markers of pathophysiology, surrogate outcome markers, and selection
markers for intent-to-treat or probability-of-response (safe and/or efficacious), are therefore all of
specific interest to the research program.
Biomarkers may be molecular entities (genetic, protein or metabolic signatures) or may be imaging
methodologies or functional physiological outcomes (such as EEG or any other physiological
measurement). In a wider sense, a biomarker may also include systems/bioinformatics research or
be the outcome of epidemiological research leading to clinical treatment algorithms. Research
projects are envisaged to be based on human research & technologies, though preclinical projects
(including novel disease models) with a strong line of sight to validation in human systems are
welcome.
Pre-proposals covered by this call may be submitted by any PI (including junior faculty) active at the
Karolinska Institutet. Research grants under the program will be made via the home institution of
the PI, and will include salary funding for postdoctoral researchers or PhD students as well as
significant direct project funding for consumables, use of analytical platforms etc. Grants may be
awarded up to approximately 2.3M SEK/yr/project including salary support. Results are intended to
be freely publishable.
Postdoctoral projects may be up to four years in duration (to be specified as two years initially,
potentially renewable for an additional two years), and PhD projects will be funded for four years
(with a funding checkpoint at two years). Projects will be competitively reviewed for renewal as part
of a future grant round in 2014. Projects are welcome to build on established or new collaborative
networks. Collaboration with researchers with other Swedish universities and in particular with
other participating universities in the SciLifeLab Stockholm constellation (KTH, SU) is encouraged.
The AstraZeneca Translational Science Centre has core expertise in biomarker research including
biochemistry/protein science (Lab head, Ina Schuppe-Koistinen), neurophysiology (Magnus Ivarsson)
and PET imaging (Lars Farde), and it is envisaged that research programs will collaborate with the
Centre, with active joint supervision. AstraZeneca also has extensive internal resources that can be
used to support research programs, including for example clinical trial samples.
Interested PIs are therefore welcome to submit a pre-proposal by 31st August 2012 by email to AZTSC-Karolinska@astrazeneca.com. Interested PIs are welcome to seek clarification prior to
submission by contacting the head of the AZ-TSC, Hugh Salter, on 08-553 23406 or
hugh.salter@astrazeneca.com
Pre-proposals should be maximum two A4 sides in length, and should briefly summarise the
proposed research and include a) scientific background b) proposed research and relevance to
program aims, including where appropriate description of cohorts c) preliminary budget estimate d)
proposed key deliverables & milestones. A brief (max 1 A4) CV for PI(s) should be appended.
Pre-proposals will be selected for further progression by an AstraZeneca committee headed by Hugh
Salter, with decision by 1st October. Selected pre-proposals will be invited to develop, in consultation
with the AZ-TSC, and submit full proposals (max 10 A4 pages) with definitive funding, collaborative
and milestone objectives by 1st November (preliminary date). Final decision on projects to be
funded, which will include external consultation, will be made by during December 2012.