This is a really interesting opportunity. With the demise of the European Lead Factory access to a large, high quality screening deck is very limited.

The MRC now have a unique funding opportunity, a chance to screen against the AstraZeneca screening deck. https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/develop-new-approaches-to-small-molecule-medicine/?utmmedium=email&utmsource=govdelivery.

Funding priority in this round will be given to applications related to fibrosis or extracellular matrix targets.

Two funding opportunities a year with new thematic focus each round. Future areas will include:

• autoimmunity
• pain
• motor neuron disease
• mental health
• dementias (including Parkinson’s and Huntington’s)
• women’s health (including related to metabolic disorders)

Often the challenge for small groups is optimisation of the assay to make it suitable for HTS, so it is great this is also to be funded and AZ will provide technical advice

What will funded, costs related to the staff and consumable costs incurred at AstraZencea for the optimisation and execution of the High Throughput Screen (HTS). These include:

• £20,000 (100% FEC Exceptions) – Optimisation and establishment of an HTS
• £150,000 (100% FEC Exceptions) – Execution of the HTS
• cost of travel, accommodation and subsistence for a host institution researcher to work at AstraZeneca in Cambridge for three months (80% FEC)
• costs for elements of the screening cascade that cannot be undertaken at AstraZeneca and must be undertaken at the host organisation (80% FEC)
• minimal %FTE for the project lead (80% FEC)