PRE-ANNOUNCEMENT: MULTIMODAL RESEARCH ACROSS SCALES TO UNDERSTAND HUMAN DISEASE – FUNDING

1. Title: PRE-ANNOUNCEMENT: MULTIMODAL RESEARCH ACROSS SCALES TO UNDERSTAND HUMAN DISEASE – FUNDING2. Awarding Authority: UK Research and Innovation, GB Email: multimodal@ukri.org. Web: 3. Contract type: Service contract4. Description: Apply for funding to support the development of a new research collaboration to expand understanding of human disease.We particularly encourage innovative high-risk approaches that seek a radical shift in current understanding.Your proposed study must:integrate different modes and scales of biomedical researchinvestigate human disease or dysfunctionbe a new collaboration that connects groups with different expertise.You must be eligible for MRC funding.Your collaboration will be funded for up to three years.MRC is seeking to catalyse new collaborations, bringing together two or more groups with expertise in different research areas or approaches. The aim is building an integrated mechanistic understanding of human disease. This will be achieved through the application of multiple and distinct research modalities that address biological problems across scales in novel and innovative ways.With this pump-priming initiative, we seek to push the boundaries of the research that is currently being carried out. We seek to foster entirely new lines of enquiry at the interface of biomedical disciplines.The total fund available is £5 million and we anticipate funding up to five collaborative projects over a funding period of up to three years.We aim to explore opportunities for a larger initiative across councils to further build on this investment.ScopeThe initiative will support the development of new research collaborations that connect two or more teams with expertise in different and complementary scales or modalities for the first time. This will allow investigators to expand their respective research beyond single or closely related scales or modalities into new territory. Towards multi-modal and multi-scale approaches that can achieve a paradigm shift in the research questions being addressed.We are inviting hypothesis-driven proposals that seek to develop a more holistic understanding of the complexity of human disease or dysfunction. This will be achieved by studying the (dynamic) interplay of biological processes across a range of scales and modalities that would not be feasible for a single group. It will need to break new ground in the field.This may involve integrating research approaches and data to address mechanisms reaching across:scales, from molecules to cells, tissues, organs, physiological systems, the whole organisms, and population-based informationmodalities, including:structural analysiscell, tissue, organism imaging‘omics’functional read-outsexposurequantitative analysis, including:mathematical modellingmachine learning or broader AI approachesiteration between modelling and experimentation.The initiative focuses on human disease and studies may be conducted in humans, use human cells, samples or data, or creative approaches to human models. For example, including:human tissue modelsorganoidsorgans on a chip, or in silico models.We particularly encourage innovative, high risk approaches that present the opportunity for a radical shift in current understanding. This may involve the application of novel technologies to a range of new research questions, or making effective use of the richness of existing resources. For example, using epidemiological data to enhance mechanistic understanding. Partnerships with industry are welcomed.Illustrative examples include:integrating molecular and cellular approaches with higher organisational levels (tissue, organism) or correlative data such as ‘omics’ to understand human pathologiesintegrating imaging or analytical data from clinical or population cohorts with mechanistic experimental studies to gain insight into functionimproving mechanistic understanding of multi-morbidities, through integration of epidemiological or clinical data with insights from models of human diseaselinking exposure data with molecular and physiological experimental analysis to understand causality.ExclusionsWe will not fund:studies focussing on ‘normal’ (non-disease) biologystudies conducted by individual groups or building on well-established collaborations, we expect that groups would not usually have published or held grants togetherresearch involving animal modelspurely observational or correlative research that does not involve experimentationsubstantial technology development that goes beyond the repurposing or adaptation of existing technologies to address new research questions.5. CPV Code(s): 73000000, 73100000, 731100006. NUTS code(s): UKK, UKK1, UKK147. Main site or location of works, main place of delivery or main place of performance: South West (England), Gloucestershire, Wiltshire And Bristol/Bath Area, Swindon.8. Reference attributed by awarding authority: Not provided.9. Estimated value of requirement: Total fund: £5,000,00010. As no deadline date has been specified please contact the awarding authority for further information.11. Address to which they must be sent: For further information regarding the above contract notice please visit:12. Other information: Who can applyThe principal investigator must be based at the lead organisation, which should be one of the following:higher education institutionsindependent research organisations (IROs) and NHS Bodiesgovernment-funded organisations (other than MRC units and institutes)MRC institutesMRC units and partnership institutesinstitutes and units funded by other research councilspublic sector research establishments (PSREs).We seek to catalyse new collaborations, bringing together two or more groups with expertise in different research modalities that reach across biomedical disciplines.For further eligibility criteria please see the MRC guidance for applicants handbookTKR-2021511-EX-1610552# funding opportunity