Sheffield
Healthcar e
Gateway
Research & Innovation Services.
Guidance for MRC Confidence in Concept
Scheme Round 4 (January 2016)
Application deadline: 6th April 2016.
MRC Confidence in Concept Round 4 monies have been obtained by a
consortium led by University of Sheffield with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS
Foundation Trust, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield
Hallam University.
Please note: The appropriate business/commercial manager from your institution
must be contacted at least 3 weeks before the closing deadline to ensure that
applications fit the scheme and that concepts are registered with the respective
institutions and the University of Sheffield. To help with application development
It is required that applications led by our partners also involve a University of
Sheffield Business Manager.
1. What is the purpose of the MRC Confidence in Concept Scheme?
1.1 The MRC Confidence in Concept Scheme is part of the MRC’s Translational
Research Strategy and is a component of the MRC/Innovate UK Biomedical
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Catalyst. The Confidence in Concept Scheme is designed to “accelerate the
transition from discovery research in any healthcare area into translational
development projects by supporting preliminary work or feasibility studies to
establish the viability of an approach”.
1.2 The financial support available is intended to ensure that fundamental
science is translated into new therapies, diagnostics and medical devices in line
with the MRC’s strategy (http://www.mrc.ac.uk/publications/browse/strategicplan-2014-19/). The scheme aims to accelerate the transition from discovery
science to the early stages of therapeutic/diagnostic development by supporting
preliminary translational work.
1.3 The MRC anticipates that projects submitted to the MRC CiC scheme will
have emerged from strong fundamental research. The MRC CiC awards are to
address a gap in the funding between discovery research and translational
research to develop a product/ therapy/ diagnostic/device for healthcare
benefits. The aim of a MRC CiC award is to generate the data package necessary
for a project to be competitive for more substantive follow on funding.
Hypothesis driven discovery research is not eligible for this funding stream.
1.4 The aim of projects funded under the scheme are to provide sufficient
preliminary data to establish the viability of an approach and provide enough
confidence in the underlying concept in order that the project team will then
seek more substantive funding from larger schemes (e.g. MRC DPFS/DCS, NIHR
HTA/i4i, Innovate UK funded initiatives or similar).
2. Project Development & Eligibility
2.1 MRC Confidence in Concept Round 4 monies have been obtained by a
consortium led by The University of Sheffield with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield
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Hallam University. Academics, academic clinicians and clinicians from these
institutions, their departments and research centres are eligible to lead an
application for this funding. Applications and the work packages detailed must
involve the activities of a University of Sheffield collaborator.
2.2 The primary investigator must be a member of staff at one of the Sheffield
consortium partners for the MRC CiC Round 4 award.
2.3 Project budgets are expected to be ca. £60K but where exceptional costs are
anticipated and can be justified, applicants may request up to £85k.
2.4 Projects that received MRC Confidence in Concept monies in Round 1 (2012)
Round 2 (2013), or Round 3 (2014) are not eligible for Round 4 funding.
2.5 Projects may be up to 12months in duration
2.6 Projects should be completed by 31st July 2017
2.7 Projects are eligible only if they are registered both with the partner’s
opportunity capture mechanism and additionally with the University of Sheffield
Commercial Assessment System (CAS) to help with monitoring and ensuring
appropriate support is available. Projects led by a partner institution can be
registered via the University of Sheffield collaborator by completing an Initial
Commercial Enquiry (ICE) form at the following URL by the University of Sheffield
applicant team:
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/post-project/commercialising/cod-form
Please note that submission of an ICE does not constitute an application to the
scheme and business managers will be required to sign off the application.
2.7 Should funding be awarded to projects involving Sheffield consortium
partner(s) an individual project agreement will be put in place. The template has
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been agreed by Sheffield partners and is available on request to the University of
Sheffield. Included within the agreement are terms relating to confidentiality,
intellectual property etc. With respect to IP generated by the project, each Party
shall own the Arising Intellectual Property generated by its employees, students
and/or agents in the performance of the Project and shall ensure that it secures
ownership of such Arising Intellectual Property from its employees, students and
agents.
Each Party shall co-operate, where required, in relation to the
preparation and prosecution of patent applications and any other applications
relating to Arising Intellectual Property.
2.8 The MRC Confidence in Concept Scheme is designed to support preliminary
work or feasibility studies in any healthcare area to establish the viability of an
approach in order to enable applications for further more substantive follow on
funding.
MRC have requested that institutions select projects that provide evidence of
good translational pathways and do not represent extended discovery projects.
While applications will contain an element of risk, they should also demonstrate
a viable translational direction rather than be a continuation of discovery science.
The scheme will aim to support and accelerate the earliest stages of research
translation within the healthcare remit. Example projects may include but are not
limited to:

Developments of new therapies

Improvements in existing therapies

Drug reprofiling

Development
of
imaging
methodologies,
diagnostics or medical devices.
2.9 Successful applications will demonstrate:
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assistive
technologies,

Medical need

Good project plan with specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and
timely (SMART) milestones and objectives

Novelty of the concept

That the concept has IP potential and freedom to operate

That there is a likely market for the concept and that the concept is
distinguished from existing solutions either already available on the
market or in development.

The level of anticipated or actual industry interest

That the CiC project proposed will generate the data needed to allow a
strong application to be made to more substantive translational funding
scheme(s) to allow the idea to be progressed

That the translational funding scheme(s)and the anticipated follow-on
work proposed after the C8C project seem appropriate

Give confidence that there is a realistic translational route to progress the
project and ultimately lead to societal impact.
Upcoming funding opportunities (with example deadlines) that may represent
possible means to progress the work supported by an MRC Confidence in
Concept Scheme award include but are not limited to:
o MRC DPFS/DCS: outline deadlines – 27 Jul 2016, 01 Dec 2016, Mar
2017 (anticipated)
o BBSRC Follow-on fund: Deadlines TBC
o Wellcome Translation awards: Concept note deadlines- April and Oct
2016 (anticipated)
o Wellcome/Dept of Health Health Innovation Challenge Fund: Future
deadlines TBC
o Wellcome Pathfinder awards: 20 Jun 2016
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o NIHR Research for Patient Benefit: 23 Mar 2016, May 2017
(anticipated), Dec 2017 (anticipated)
o NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i): Jan 13 2016, Apr 06 2016,
o Additional charitable funding – anticipated schemes should be
specified in the application.
(Please check the individual funder’s eligibility criteria to ensure that
your project is suitable for any of the above).
2.10 Eligible costs include:

Direct costs associated with the project

Staff conducting the research, but not staff (including the lead applicant or
co-applicants) in a supervisory capacity)

Project-related consumables and equipment.

Subcontracted consultancy or other development services.

Market assessment

Other costs, such as travel to collaborators/ contractors and subsistence.
2.11 The MRC stipulate that the Confidence in Concept Scheme cannot pay for:

Entire translational projects

Staff
between
posts/funding
(i.e.
as
“bridging”
funds)
or
PhD
studentships

Continuation of normal research grants

Costs relating to protection of intellectual property

Capital equipment purchases.
2.12 The University of Sheffield as institutional holder for the overall award of
MRC CiC Round 4 monies must adhere at all times to its Financial Directives for
the expenditure of funding. and all projects must be costed using the University
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of Sheffield’s URMS (http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/systems/urms).
Non University of Sheffield staff therefore need to provide the costs for their part
of the project to University of Sheffield faculty-based support staff or R&IS
Pricing Team staff as per existing arrangements for other collaborative grant
applications agreed between the partners.
2.13 Salary costs will not be paid as personal salary (as with consultancy).
2.14 Applications with industrial collaborators are eligible for the scheme.
Standard MRC guidelines and intellectual property arrangements for industrial
collaboration
will
apply.
For
further
information
please
see
http://www.mrc.ac.uk/innovation/mrc-industry-collaboration-agreement-mica/.
2.15 Applicants are not required to enter Impact costs on their URMS entry for
this scheme. University of Sheffield applicants should tick the box for Year 1 on
the corresponding URMS Impact cost page to acknowledge that no costs have
been put in and then write "not applicable to this scheme” as the reason in the
available free text box.
3. Monitoring
3.1 The University of Sheffield is required to monitor how the scheme funds are
used and to follow project progress, providing MRC with a progress report every
6 months (including completion of the ResearchFish assessment) plus a final
accounting and brief report on the outcomes of funded projects at the end of
the programme.
3.2 By accepting the award, the applicant(s) and, if appropriate, their Sheffield
consortium partner host organisation(s) agree to provide a sufficiently detailed
Interim Report, dependent on length of project, (1 is expected, at the half-way
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stage), a Final Report upon completion and the post-award follow-up Reports
that will provide information to be captured via ResearchFish. A presentation to
the external review panel members may be required regarding progress with
either the interim and/ or final report.
3.3 By accepting the award, the applicants agree to engage with their local
professional support staff and/or to work with the University of Sheffield
Research & Innovation Services and Faculty Commercialisation or Business
Managers to monitor the progress of the project to allow the reporting of
outcomes back to the funder. This will include assisting with the development of
funder and/or case study reports as appropriate.
3.4 We reserve the right to recover funds where there is evidence that a project is
failing to adhere to the agreed application. Similarly, funds may be recovered
where these have not been spent in accordance with the application, unless a
change has been agreed in writing.
3.5 This funding may only be used to support eligible project activities.
4. Application Process
4.1 Step by step guide to application process

Register your project with the appropriate team in your institution. All
projects should also be registered by the University of Sheffield applicant
team
on
the
project
using
the
CAS
system
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/post-project/commercialising/process

Meet with the appropriate professional services staff for your institution to
discuss the application

Submit application form

Wait for decision

Receive an offer/ decline letter
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
Begin project
4.2 Application for MRC Confidence in Concept scheme funding is a single stage
process open to the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS
Foundation Trust, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield
Hallam University for projects with a healthcare remit. Applications can only be
made via the MRC Confidence in Concept Application Form.
4.3 Projects must have been submitted by University of Sheffield staff to the
Commercial Assessment System (CAS) via an Initial Commercial Enquiry (ICE).
See the following URLs:
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/post-project/commercialising/process
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/post-project/commercialising/cod-form
4.4 All applicants (PIs) must discuss their project with the professional
support staff associated with their institution and University of Sheffield at
least 3 weeks prior to submission to receive advice and guidance.
4.5 Applications should address the points detailed/raised in each section of the
application form.
4.6 All applications will be considered by an interdisciplinary panel and scored
against the criteria specified in 2.7.
4.7 Both a completed, unsigned Word application as well as either a signed
electronic copy of the application should be sent to r.m.dwyer@sheffield.ac.uk or
a signed hardcopy posted to:
Rachel Dwyer
Research & Innovation Services
New Spring House
9
231 Glossop Road
Sheffield S10 2GW
Contacts
University of Sheffield Research & Innovation Services:
Dr. Neil Harris
Rachel Dwyer
neil.harris@sheffield.ac.uk
r.m.dwyer @sheffield.ac.uk
T:0114 2227439
T:0114 2221437
Professional Support staff:
University of
Sheffield Faculty
of Engineering
T: 0114 2222899
Stephen Pyke
s.h.pyke@sheffield.ac.uk
University of
T: 0114 222
Sheffield Faculty
0999
of Science
Andy Hogben
A.J.Hogben@Sheffield.ac.uk
Dentistry & Health
Sue Smith
sue.smith@sheffield.ac.uk
T: 0114 2228723
STHFT
Lydia Harris
Lydia.Harris@sth.nhs.uk
T: 0114 2265911
SCH
Gillian Gatenby
Gillian.Gatenby@sch.nhs.uk
T: 0114 3053219
SHU
Rob Evans
r.evans@shu.ac.uk
T: 0114 2254293
University of
Sheffield Faculty
of Medicine,
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For University of Sheffield enquiries outside the faculties listed above, please
contact the Commercialisation / Business Manager allocated on submission of your
Initial Commercial Enquiry (ICE) form.
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