Immune Insights for Type 1 Diabetes Therapy

Grant funding is provided for individual and joint immune-focused research projects under the Root Causes of Type 1 Diabetes research area. Joint initiatives can be undertaken between scientists based in the UK or in collaboration with partners based abroad.

The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is a partnership between the Steve Morgan Foundation, Diabetes UK and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation UK (JDRF UK) which offers funding to fast-track discoveries that will lead to life-changing new treatments and ultimately a cure for type 1 diabetes.

Grants under the Immune Insights for Type 1 Diabetes Therapy call are awarded by the Partnership to support researchers who will bridge the gap between the bench and bedside in order to avert the immune attack on pancreatic islet cells that underlies type 1 diabetes.

Funding is available for UK-based researchers working individually or in collaboration to address gaps in the field that require technological, subject-matter or analytical expertise more expansive than might be available in individual laboratories. Collaborations with partners outside the UK will be considered if such collaborations add unique skills or resources to help accelerate type 1 diabetes research and improve the lives of people affected.

Projects that are especially encouraged would focus on immunotherapy for the type 1 diabetes field in relation to both the new onset and cell therapy settings. For example, how to move screening and immunotherapy from clinical trials into widespread clinical adoption, and how to integrate immune knowledge into the developing field of beta cell replacement therapy for type 1 diabetes. Views and needs of people living with type 1 diabetes, as well as equality, diversity and inclusion should be taken into account.

It is anticipated that up to two awards will be made.