RegeNer8 - N8 Centre for Translational Regenerative Medicine

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme has
allocated up to £13 million to fund new research projects in medical technology, and is launching
a call for proposals on 1 November 2011.

In addition to the amount of money available, the NIHR has introduced two updates to the
programme.

Firstly, NIHR i4i has broadened its scope to accept proposals from researchers in both England
and Wales following an agreement with the National Institute for Social Care and Health
Research (NISCHR).

The second change for researchers to note is that the programme’s application process has
been simplified. Previously researchers had to apply to either early- or late-stage product
development award streams and applicants could be uncertain as to where their research lay. As
of this call, all applications will be submitted through a single route and assignment to early- or
late-stage product development will be undertaken by the NIHR i4i sub-panel as part of the
review process.

The NIHR i4i programme funds projects through prototype and commercial development until a
device or technology is ready for clinical testing. They tend to be collaborative investigations with
the potential to make significant improvements for patients, and involve academic or clinical
researchers (who understand specific patient needs) and technical experts from industry.
Recent examples of projects that have been funded are the development of a device for rapid,
bed side diagnosis of sepsis (blood poisoning), and an investigation to improve the materials for
incontinence devices. More information on these projects can be found below in the Annex.
Martin Hunt, NIHR i4i Programme Director, said:

“In the present economic climate, traditional venture capitalist and private equity sources of
funding are less willing to invest, so it is becoming increasingly difficult for medtech companies to
secure funding for new, innovative technologies.
“Since the NIHR i4i programme was re-launched in October 2010, the range of projects in scope
is much broader. The amount of funding awarded is determined by the nature and scale of the
proposed research activity and we are considering projects seeking larger funding amounts than
before. 

“The NIHR i4i programme provides a valuable funding opportunity for the medtech sector, and
we welcome high-quality applications that we expect will make a real difference within the NHS.”
As well as focusing on projects that will benefit NHS patients, the NIHR i4i programme actively
fosters collaboration between researchers in industry, NHS organisations and universities. 

As well as focusing on projects that will benefit NHS patients, the NIHR i4i programme actively
fosters collaboration between researchers in industry, NHS organisations and universities. For a
proposal to be eligible for an award, the project team must comprise researchers from at least
two of these sectors.
The programme particularly welcomes proposals from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) or
teams that have previously demonstrated success in taking new technologies through product
development to commercialisation.

Outline research proposals for the NIHR i4i programme must be submitted by 5pm on
Wednesday 7 December 2011. For details and criteria for funding, please see www.i4i.nihr.ac.uk.