The MRC are to make £50,000 available to assist UK participants with networking activities to prepare their Expressions of Interest for the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). IMI will present a unique opportunity for European public and private sector research organisations to collaborate on shared research objectives. The projects funded through IMI will aim to improve the mechanisms for bringing new medicines to the marketplace, addressing safety and efficacy issues alongside training and knowledge management. Over the ten-year lifetime of IMI, the European Commission will contribute 1 billion euros of research funding to academia, SMEs, patient groups, regulators and non-profit entities. Industry will match this with in-kind contributions. The first IMI call for proposals will be launched in April. The proposed application timelines are very tight; consortia seeking funding will be asked to submit Expressions of Interest by July 2008. The final funded projects will start early in 2009. The MRC’s funding will assist UK participants with networking activities to prepare their Expressions of Interest, covering activities such as travel, accommodation and meeting-room hire. For more information, please click on the link below.

MRC website