Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge: Beta Cell Therapy Innovation Project Grants

Funding for academic and clinical researchers to conduct high-risk/high-reward research projects that have the potential to advance the development of beta cell therapies for type-1 diabetes.

The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is a £50 million funding partnership between the Steve Morgan Foundation, Diabetes UK and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation UK (JDRF UK) which aims to invest in the most promising research to fast-track discoveries that will lead to life-changing new treatments, and ultimately a cure, for type 1 diabetes.

The Beta Cell Therapy Innovation Project Grants aim to support high-risk/high-reward type research that has the potential to advance the development of beta cell therapies and test them at pace.

Projects are invited on two themes, which were identified under the previous Beta Cell Therapy Translational Programme Grant call as two areas that need to be addressed to advance beta cell therapies as a viable treatment option for those living with type 1 diabetes. The themes are:

• Theme 1: Design of beta cells fit for transplantation
• Theme 2: Approaches to regenerate beta cells

Innovative project ideas that fall outside of the scope of the themes will also be considered if they have transformative potential and address an unmet aspect of beta cell therapy research.

There is a particular focus on multi-disciplinary collaborations. Researchers from other biomedical disciplines, such as immunology, stem cell science, medicinal chemistry or bioengineering, are encouraged to partner with established diabetes researchers to apply expertise from other fields to diabetes research.