ATMPs Publications and Research Funding Opportunities
Research – from early-stage drug discovery through to manufacturing and clinical research – is the life-blood of the rapidly-evolving advanced therapeutics sector. Over recent years Ireland’s research-performing institutes have developed a bedrock of research talent and expertise and are building a portfolio of innovative research projects. In parallel, Ireland has developed a wide range of state research funding sources and supports.
This section of the Advanced Therapeutics Ireland portal pulls together the latest research funding opportunities and highlights the latest ATMP research publications.
Funding Opportunities
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EPSRC and Research Ireland have an established agreement to welcome, encourage and support research applications that cut across national boundaries involving collaborative teams led by researchers from the UK and Ireland. This Partnership supports joint research and technology development in all areas of EPSRC’s remit which covers chemistry, engineering, information and communications technologies, materials, mathematical sciences and physics.
Funder:
Research IrelandCall Status:
Open – Rolling CallTargeted -
The US-Ireland Research and Development Partnership is a unique initiative involving funding agencies across three jurisdictions: United States of America, Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland. The overall goal of the Partnership is to increase the level of collaborative R&D amongst researchers and industry across the three jurisdictions. This collaboration aims to generate valuable discoveries and innovations which are transferable to the marketplace, or will lead to enhancements in health, disease prevention or healthcare.
Funder:
Research IrelandCall Status:
Open – Rolling CallTargeted -
The Strategic Partnership Programme is a flexible mechanism for academic researchers to build strategic collaborations with key stakeholders such as industry, other funding agencies, charities, philanthropic organisations, higher education institutes (HEIs), or a combination of any of these. The scheme aims to support stand-alone research initiatives of scale with strong potential for delivering economic and societal impact to Ireland, in partnership with key stakeholders.
Funder:
Research IrelandCall Status:
Open – Rolling CallUntargeted -
AMBER are investing up to €2m in the
development of Non-Viral gene delivery
platforms. Additional opportunity to work with AMBER and NIBRT on development of stable and scalable nanotechnologies for nucleic acid delivery. Looking for industry partner(s) willing to collaborate on these exciting initiatives with Matched funding.Targeted -
The Research Ireland Frontiers for the Future Programme provides opportunities for independent investigators to conduct highly innovative, collaborative research with the potential to deliver impact, whilst also providing opportunities for high-risk, high-reward research projects.
Funder:
Research IrelandCall Status:
2024 Call: Projects stream is CLOSED
2024 Call: Awards stream is OPEN Rolling CallUntargeted -
The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) is a €500 million challenge-based fund established under Project Ireland 2040. It is one of four funds set up under the National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2027. It is managed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and administered by Enterprise Ireland.
To date, over €371 million in funding has been awarded to 104 projects.
DTIF Call 7 launched on 7 May 2024 and is accepting applications until 30 April 2025.
DTIF is suitable for combinations of SMEs, MNCs and RPOs who are engaging in collaborative ‘industrial research’ and/or ‘experimental development’ towards a common objective.
You should apply to DTIF if your project will potentially:
- alter markets
- alter the way businesses operate
- involve the creation of new products or
contribute to the emergence of new business models
Projects are assessed based on four criteria:
- strength of the disruptive technology dimension
- excellence of the overall proposal and approach
- economic impact and sustainability
- quality and efficiency of the collaboration
Funder:
Enterprise Ireland
Call Status:
Call OPEN (until 30 April 2025)Untargeted -
This funding programme encourages Irish-based companies to work with Irish researchers to undertake research which supports the development of new and improved products, processes, services and generate new knowledge and know-how.
Funder:
Enterprise IrelandCall Status:
Call OPEN (multiple cut-offs per year)Untargeted -
Proposals must focus on emerging technologies or breakthrough new concept-based technological solutions that go far beyond the current state-of-the-art, aimed to overcome cell and gene therapy challenges and obstacles companies are currently being faced with, at the preclinical or clinical level or bio-manufacturing level. Proposers can submit disease or non-disease specific proposals.
Funder:
Horizon EuropeCall Status:
Call closed (2022)Targeted -
EIC Pathfinder Open provides funding for projects in any field of science or technology, based on high-risk/high-gain science-towards-technology breakthrough interdisciplinary research.
Funder:
Horizon EuropeCall Status:
Call closed (4 May 2022)Untargeted -
This topic covers passive and active immunotherapies (such as antibody-based, RNA-based and cell based therapies). Focused on pre-clinical to clinical trials (in vitro and in vivo). Regulatory pathway – proof of concept, regulation to clinical path. Communicable and non-communicable disease – high burden disease. Cance, rare diseases and repurposing of drugs not included in this call.
Funder:
Horizon EuropeCall Status:
1st stage deadline (1 February 2022), 2nd Stage deadline (6 September 2022)Targeted -
Proposals should aim to diversify and accelerate the global vaccine research and development pipeline, and to strengthen the current leading role of the EU in vaccine research and development. Proposals should cover those pathogens, which still lack vaccines of sufficient efficacy, but where earlier efforts have already produced promising vaccine candidates. Scope includes deciphering mechanisms of protection of candidates, new approaches to antigen discovery and immunogen engineering, reverse vaccinology, evaluation of vaccines in novel platforms and technologies, novel adjuvants, innovative vaccine manufacturing approaches, relevant animal models, evaluation of alternative vaccine delivery routes.
Funder:
Horizon EuropeCall Status:
1st stage deadline (1 February 2022), 2nd Stage deadline (6 September 2022)Targeted -
Proposals should aim to develop therapies for rare diseases with no approved therapeutic option and focus on group(s) of rare diseases with commonalities, such as shared biological features. The therapies to be developed may include a broad family of therapeutic interventions such as small molecule(s), advanced therapy medicinal products, repurposing of existing medicinal products including non-pharmacological interventions and/or their combinations, as relevant. This call excludes rare infections and rare cancers and covers pre-clinical proof of concept to late stage pre-clinical studies – with a clear exploitation pathway.
Funder:
Horizon EuropeCall Status:
1st stage deadline (1 February 2022), 2nd Stage deadline (6 September 2022)Targeted -
The recent development of advanced therapies has been hampered by the lack of robust research on certain key parameters e.g. safety, upscaling, immunity, potency assays, cost-effectiveness, and early on in development. This topic aims to ensure that the next wave of advanced therapies, based on either pluripotent stem cells, gene editing or RNA, are established in a timely fashion and in accordance with the appropriate regulatory standards for further clinical testing. It will support preclinical research platforms for disorders with high prevalence and burden that tackle the bottlenecks currently encountered in the field, ensuring that promising advanced therapies can reach the market within the next decade.
Funder:
Horizon EuropeCall Status:
Call closed (21 September 2021)Targeted -
The fundamental focus of the ERC through its main frontier research grants (e.g. Starter, Consolidator and Advanced Grants) is to provide attractive, long-term funding to support excellent investigators and their research teams to pursue ground-breaking high-gain/high-risk research. Research funded by the ERC is expected to lead to advances at the frontiers of knowledge and to set a clear and inspirational target for frontier research across Europe.
Funder:
Horizon EuropeCall Status:
Starting Grant 2022 call closed (13 Jan 2022); next call deadline 25 October 2022 (anticipated) Consolidator Grant 2022 call closed (17 March 2022); next call deadline 2 February 2023 (anticipated) Advanced Grant 2022 call closed (28 April 2022); next call deadline 23 May 2023 (anticipated)Untargeted
Publications
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Proteomic Landscape of Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV)-Producing HEK293 Cells
Lisa Strasser, Stefano Boi, Felipe Guapo, Nicholas Donohue, Niall Barron, Alana Rainbow-Fletcher, Jonathan BonesDate: -
The Case for Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacturing in Ireland
The CGT Forum membersDate: -
AAV-mediated gene therapy improving mitochondrial function provides benefit in age-related macular degeneration models
Sophia Millington-Ward, Naomi Chadderton, Laura K. Finnegan, Iris J.M. Post, Matthew Carrigan, Tom Gardiner, Elisa Peixoto,Daniel Maloney, Marian M. Humphries, Alan Stitt, Thierry Léveillard, Pete Humphries, Paul F. Kenna, Arpad Palfi, G. Jane FarrarDate: -
Why Ireland for Cell and Gene Therapy Development and Manufacturing
IDA IrelandDate: -
The Regulatory Landscape for ATMPs in the EU and US: a Comparison
Shada Warreth, Elaline HarrisDate: -
CGT Forum Working Group 7 Report 2022
Drafted by Cormac Kennedy; Reviewed by Working Group 7Date: