1. Experimental Medicine Challenge Grants Round 3
Dr David Crosby, MRC Programme Manager for Experimental Medicine
EMCG Webinar, 8th of May, 2015

2. Experimental medicine; discovery science in humans
Questions to:
Experimental medicine is “Investigation undertaken in humans, relating where appropriate to model systems, to identify mechanisms of pathophysiology or disease, or to demonstrate proof-of-concept evidence of the validity and importance of new discoveries or treatments.”
Man as the experimental model: discovery science in humans
Should inform a deeper understanding of human disease mechanisms
Better target ID/validation
Reverse translation to more representative animal models
Pull-through of basic science to impact on health
MRC vision for experimental medicine – to generate a more profound understanding of the mechanisms of disease in man, to underpin and to flow through to a more streamlined and productive translational pathway.
To ensure UK leadership, we must encourage an ethos of experimentation in man; to better use trials to deliver disease mechanistic insight, and to make better experimental use of existing resources such as patient cohorts and of existing compounds as tools.
The UK must be at the forefront of the development and application of new methodologies and technologies in order to best support these experimental medicine approaches, for example in developing new trial designs which enable mechanistic insight whilst assessing efficacy, or the application of computational modelling approaches to stratification of complex, hetereogenous disease states.
The MRC supports the enhancement of UK experimental medicine capacity and capability such that improved understanding of disease mechanisms in man will lead to identification of new modes of diagnosis and prognosis, new targets for intervention, proof of concept for new interventions, and reverse translation to animal models that more accurately recapitulate human disease.

4. What Should an EMCG be?
EM Challenge Grant Mission: Large-scale collaborative awards to support ambitious, ground-breaking, challenge-led EM work, to deliver major new insights into disease mechanism in humans.
Challenge-led: Based around a substantial and clearly articulated gap in understanding of human pathophysiology 
Human-focused: The focus should be on understanding human disease through experimental investigation in humans.
Ambitious and innovative: Research proposals should address important medical questions in new ways. 
Experiment-driven:  Proposals should be structured around an experiment designed to address a mechanistic question and identify clear outcomes. 

5. Who/What will MRC support through EMCG?
Pathfinders to Programmes - MRC wish to support a range of award scales 
PI – strong track record of research, commensurate with award
EMCGs should be hypothesis defining/refining
Not solely characterisation
Development of a therapy during the award is not mandatory

6. What will MRC expect from EMCG applications?
Detailed experimental plans
Partnership
Industry -
Inter-institution, –discipline, -national
Capitalise on Infrastructure
Risk mitigation
Recognition of potential pitfalls
Alternate strategies
Stage-gates
Pilot data
Novel approaches

7. How will MRC Review EMCGs?
Stage 1: Outline
Pro forma
Deadline 25th June
Stage 2: Outline shortlisting
Panel of MRC Board members, end of July
Stage 3: Full application peer review
Deadline end of October
Stage 4: Full applications are reviewed by a cross-Board EMCG panel
Cross-Board panel will include the four chairs and members from each Board, chaired by Stephen Holgate.
Decisions Feb 2016