The Academy of Medical Sciences’ Cross-Sector Programme to promote health innovation continues to grow, with the launch of a new networking hub in Northern Ireland to join one already set up in Wales.
The Cross-Sector Programme brings together participants through networking hub events, hosted around the UK, to collaborate and develop ideas on how to deal with health challenges. Health Innovation Research Northern Ireland (HIRANI) is the newest hub host to become part of the scheme, joining Life Sciences Hub Wales (LSHW).
Dr Rachel Macdonald, Head of Programmes at the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “We’re delighted to announce that HIRANI will be joining our Cross-Sector Programme. Our aim is to build networks and help people collaborate across the UK.
“With partner hubs in Northern Ireland and Wales, we look forward to developing thriving networks of people, organisations and community groups interested in medical research from across the UK, centrally connected through the Academy and with each other.”
In addition to the programme, the Academy’s Cross-Sector Experience Awards scheme provides the opportunity for people to gain experience, develop news skills and build collaborations outside of their own sector. It does this by funding up to £100,000 for people whose work has a clear link to the improvement of human health to work in a different sector for up to a year.
First launched in November 2023, the awards aim to help break down barriers and address a lack of movement between sectors – something that was highlighted in recent Academy report Future-proofing UK Health Research as a weakness in the UK health research system.
The awards are announced annually with applications for the next round due to open in November 2024. They are supported by the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, National Institute for Health and Care Research and Wellcome.
Current awardees have been working in different sectors across government, charity, the NHS and industry. For example, Dr Pradeep Harish is working with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Department of Health and Social Care to learn more about the regulation of medicines in the UK including their assessment, approval and monitoring. Another participant, Dr Bahijja Raimi-Abraham, is working with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in Nigeria to understand the monitoring of recently approved antibiotics in Nigeria.
Industry partnerships include Dr John Counsell, who is working with Deep Science Ventures to improve understanding of entrepreneurship and learn about venture creation activities, and Professor Ian Copple who is working with AstraZeneca.
One participant, Dr Maria Garraffa, is a previous awardee of the Academy’s Global Challenges Research Fund Networking Grant. She is assessing needs in educationally and economically deprived communities to produce a research framework in partnership with the Refugee Crisis Foundation.
Find out more about the Cross-Sector Experience Awards and full awardee list, plus discover details on the Cross-Sector Programme and upcoming events.