BBSRC ICURe Explore trains, funds, and supports research teams to determine whether there is a market for products or services that utilise their bioscience-based ideas, research, science, and technologies.
Funding is available to ‘get out of the lab’ and validate commercially promising ideas in the marketplace. The training and support activities are carried out in a blended format, providing accessibility to a wide range of applicants.
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research (ICURe) takes the scientific method and applies it to commercialisation. Over a three-month period you will learn how to use this approach to test what your potential customers think about your idea, product, or service. In addition, you will receive training and interview practice, carrying out over 100 interviews across the marketplace and acquiring transferrable business and social skills.
Past participants say that having ICURe Explore support, training, and funding to spend on customer discovery has dramatically changed their perspective on their innovation.
The research underpinning the bioscience innovation, products or services being carried forward for market exploration by the team must be building on a previous BBSRC or other UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) grant.
BBSRC ICURe Explore is open to research teams in all UK universities, BBSRC-funded institutes and approved public sector research enterprises (PSREs).
BBSRC ICURe Explore teams are composed of four individuals:
Any research or technical research staff member, including, but not limited to, PhD student, technician, PDRA, fellowship and group leader positions, who receives their salary or stipend from an eligible university, PSRE or institute. This individual must be able to commit full-time for the duration of the programme starting the week of the bootcamp, and have approval of their institute, organisation, or funder.
A researcher who can provide intellectual support to the entrepreneurial lead throughout the course of the programme. For example, an interdisciplinary project may require input from outside the research group.
An individual from the team, either from or contracted to the research organisation, leading on the commercialisation of the intellectual asset with appropriate technology transfer expertise.
This individual must:
A motivated individual from a relevant industrial sector who can offer expert guidance and support. Teams are strongly encouraged to name a business adviser in their application. Please contact the ICURe administration team if identifying a suitable advisor is a barrier. Teams are responsible for any agreements or financial arrangements that may be needed with their business advisers.
We are committed to improving diversity across our programmes and are actively seeking applications from under-represented groups, including women, people of colour, those living with disabilities and those from the LGBTQI+ communities. We also actively encourage applications led by non-Russell Group universities. The spread across different target market sectors will also be considered when selecting applications to ensure broad portfolio coverage.
Please note that we cannot accept applications based upon a research project that has previously been through the ICURe Explore programme.
The research underpinning the bioscience innovation and the products or services being carried forward for market exploration by the team must be building on a previous BBSRC or other UKRI grant.
The technology, product or service must be either:
We welcome applications from across the biosciences, including:
Applications based on medical or clinical devices and therapeutics being developed solely for a specific end-point clinical utility (including diagnostics) will not be accepted. For example, if an applicant is developing a technology specifically for diagnosing or treating a specific disease, they would not be eligible for BBSRC ICURe. However, if the applicant also aims to investigate other market opportunities for this technology outside of the health sector, for example for livestock, or if this technology can be pivoted and used as a platform technology then they would be eligible for BBSRC ICURe.
Applicants are strongly advised to contact us if they are unsure whether their application would fit the scope of the funding opportunity.
The application form can be accessed from the links on the ICURe website.
All applications will go through a competitive selection process and the Entrepreneurial Lead and Associated Science Advisor will be required to participate in individual scheduled video interviews as part of that process.
Your application must have been agreed with your organisation prior to applying, including that you can commit to the programme fulltime.
