TTMI Collaborative Pilot Study Awards
Request for Applications

Scheme description

TTMI is pleased to announce a request for applications for Collaborative Pilot Study Awards. TTMI has prioritised this programme to fast-forward solutions for collaborative multidisciplinary research, with the goal of increasing translational research activity in TCD and its clinical partners. A key objective is the creation of a pathway for emerging clinician scientists to engage with bench scientists by establishing a translational research programme via creation of a new inception cohort (with associated biobanking and clinical data capture mechanisms), or by leverage and expansion of an existing cohort. It is imperative that applications involve new collaborations between TTMI-based researchers and TCD-affiliated clinicians to facilitate the development of the requisite relationships necessary for future grants of scale. The data from these projects will be used to develop applications for such competitions as: HRB Clinical Fellowships/HRB Investigator led projects, EI Technical Feasibility Funds or targeted calls such as Meath Foundation. One of the BEHR awards (funded in collaboration with Cancer Molecular Diagnostics (CMD), SJH) will be reserved for a new initiative that links the proposed research with the TTMI CMD lab, for example including a CMD staff member as a formal collaborator or involving use of a specific piece of CMD equipment to support the research . Those wishing to be considered for this award should describe the nature of the CMD collaboration, and the vision for its future development.
An important measure of success will be the sustainable onboarding of a new academic clinician to TTMI and the persistence of a joint research programme in collaboration with a bench scientist five years post award. The ‘Building Engagements in Health Research’ scheme is supported by the Office of the Dean of Research in recognition of the fact that Translational Research is inherently multidisciplinary.

Eligibility criteria

The scheme is geared towards supporting the early/mid-career development of researchers in Translational Research by establishing foundations towards successful applications to Horizon Europe, ERC, Wellcome or Research Ireland.
Each project must involve at least two applicants - one with a clinical contract and one basic scientist; recently appointed assistant professors and medical consultants / allied health professionals will be given a greater weighting. At least one of the applicants must be able to host a grant within the TCD financial system. If neither applicant has TTMI Investigator status at the time of application, the proposal should be endorsed by a researcher with this status.
Recipients of BEHR grants within the previous three years are ineligible to apply.

Scoring system

Project Component	Marks
Articulation of the creation of a sustainable TTMI-based translational interdisciplinary research partnership, including description of follow-on funding strategies	35
Rationale for the research / scientific merit / methodology	35
Feasibility of the project	20
Evidence of potential for industry engagement	5
Description of PPI strategy (during and beyond this award)	5
Total marks	100

 

Level of Funding Available

It is envisaged that 3 or 4 projects (total budget €30,000) will be funded under this scheme.
Closing date for Applications: 5pm Friday 9th January 2026

Download the call information from here (PDF)

Download the application form here (MS Word 142 Kb) and submit to frank.mangan@tcd.ie