LifeArc, a UK-based medical research charity, and children’s charity Action Medical Research are funding research projects that could lead to new interventions (therapeutics, diagnostics and devices) to improve the lives of children living with a rare disease.

The charities have announced that £1m of funding will be available for translational research projects from across the UK focused on children’s rare diseases. They are seeking applications by the 3rd March 2020 from scientists who require additional funding to progress promising research projects.

This is the second funding call issued by both organisations. Last year, two projects were jointly funded; one into gene therapy for a progressively debilitating condition called Hunter syndrome, and another into a new targeted drug combination for a rare form of acute leukaemia.

Dr Catriona Crombie, Head of LifeArc’s Philanthropic Fund said: “Our Philanthropic Fund was established to support academics in translating fundamental science into new treatments for rare diseases.

“This partnership with Action Medical Research allows us to combine our different areas of skills and expertise to further promising research to benefit younger patients.”

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For further information:

LifeArc 

Surinder Maan
Communications Manager
info@lifearc.org

Action Medical Research

Kate Lee
Research Communications Officer
Action Medical Research

01403 327445
klee@action.org.uk
www.action.org.uk

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Notes to editors

How to apply

Applications can be made via the Action Medical Research website  and will need to meet the guidelines provided. Projects of up to three years duration and costing a maximum of £250,000 will be considered. The final outcomes of applications made in this round will be announced in December 2020.

Previous funding projects:

Hunter syndrome: improving gene therapy for this rare and devastating disease
Led by Professor Brian Bigger at the Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, The University of Manchester

Childhood leukaemia: investigating a new drug treatment
Led by Dr Owen Williams at the Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health


About Action Medical Research

Action Medical Research is a leading UK-wide charity saving and changing children’s lives through medical research. For more than 65 years we’ve helped pioneer ways to prevent disease and develop treatments benefiting millions of people. Our research has helped to beat polio in the UK, develop ultrasound in pregnancy, fight meningitis and prevent stillbirths. But we urgently need to develop more new treatments and cures for sick babies and children, and we can’t do it without you.

Join our fight for little lives today.

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