Queen’s University Belfast has been selected as one of 17 recipients to receive up to £50,000 to lead development of a new regional research consortium.
Selected by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Northern Ireland Precision Biomarkers and Therapeutics Consortium (NIPBT) will aim to enhance collaboration of industry and academia across Northern Ireland within the Health and Life Sciences sector.
The NIPBT Consortium is one of 17 consortia projects funded by UKRI spread across the UK, including central and southern Scotland, south Wales, Northern Ireland, England’s north-west, north-east, south-east and the Midlands. Each project will build on local strengths in industry and research to create significant economic impact, drive local growth, provide skills training and create high-value jobs.
Each of the shortlisted projects has been awarded early-stage funding from the second wave of UKRI’s flagship Strength in Places Fund (SIPF). This funding will allow the consortia behind the projects, which involve universities, research organisations, businesses and local leadership, to develop their projects and apply for a further £10-50 million each from UKRI in late autumn this year.
The NIPBT will build on Northern Ireland’s existing strengths in digital health, diagnostics and pharmaceuticals and will bring together partners from industry and academia including; Almac Group, Fusion Antibodies, Sonrai Analytics, ProAxsis Limited, Diaceutics and Exploristics to increase research, encourage innovation and make Northern Ireland’s life and health science sector more productive. It will develop new, more cost-effective targeted drugs and antibodies and new ways of diagnosing cancer and other conditions. The long-term aim is to attract and secure highly skilled jobs to the region to enhance its competitiveness and prosperity.
Commenting on the announcement, acting director from the Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s University Belfast, Professor Chris Scott said: “I am delighted with this news and to be given the opportunity to create a collaborative platform in Northern Ireland to exploit the potential of our health and life sciences sector, whilst making sure that we provide our own students with the key skills to realise high value jobs and opportunities here in Northern Ireland.”
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