The Academy of Medical Sciences is awarding grants of up to £100,000 for individuals to undertake placements across different sectors to accelerate health innovation.
Now in its second year, the cross-sector experience awards have been designed to bring fresh perspectives to health challenges – for instance, by encouraging collaborations between clinical researchers and industries like aerospace or engineering.
The awards provide up to £100,000 to cover salary, project costs and expenses for placements between three and 12 months.
Recipients then return to their original roles afterwards equipped with new ideas, expertise and connections.
The aim is to boost health innovation by breaking down traditional barriers between sectors to help foster fresh pathways that bridge the public, private and charitable sectors.
Professor James Naismith, vice president (non-clinical) at the Academy of Medical Sciences, said it was about creating opportunities for ‘unprecedented knowledge exchange’ that could lead to scientific breakthroughs.
‘Imagine a clinical researcher gaining fresh perspectives from Formula-1 engineering or a rare disease specialist collaborating with aerospace experts,’ he said.
Prof Naismith said that collaboration was essential for innovation. But the number of industrial placements, collaborative PhD studentships and collaborative postdoctoral researchers in pharmaceutical R&D has fallen.
‘By facilitating temporary placements, our unique cross-sector experience awards make sure researchers can see a wider world and make the connections that will drive the innovation that will benefit us all,’ he said.
The applicant’s work must be connected to improving human health, while their partner organisation must operate in a different sector and need not be health-related.
The awards are open to individuals doing both research and non-research work. The partner organisations also do not need to be research-focused.
The awards are particularly significant for individuals seeking to:
• Access new research methodologies and technologies from other sectors.
• Build lasting cross-sector partnerships without leaving their current position.
• Gain fresh perspectives on complex health challenges.
Delivered in partnership with Wellcome, the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the programme aligns with the Government’s broader strategy to maintain the UK’s competitive edge in life sciences.
The application deadline is 27 February 2025. Full eligibility criteria and application details can be found on the Academy of Medical Sciences website.
