Are you an early career research working on a technology in the lab that innovates in or provides a novel solution to pain?

MedTech SuperConnector is now accepting applications for its Challenge led accelerator programme (DEADLINE EXTENDED closing Sunday 17th May 2020 11:59pm BST) in partnership with GSK Consumer Healthcare. If you want to learn more about how the programme works, the application process or just want to find out if this programme is for you, please join us for this virtual information session. Joining details to be shared the morning of the event.

Apply here

The Challenge

Pain can be acute, chronic or intermittent but most importantly it is one of the most common health conditions that people seek medical treatment for. Yet the causes of and treatment for pain is not well understood, difficult to measure and a deeply personal experience. Partnering with GSK Consumer Healthcare Next/Beyond teams we are looking for technologies that innovate in this space; offering novel solutions, experimental and alternative ways of addressing how science, medicine and society understands, diagnoses and measures pain.

• Understanding - New and novel ways to understand and objectively measure pain
• Pre-emption and prevention - Early interventions and preventative tools to reduce risk factors associated with pain
• Visualisation and interpretation - Tools and approaches to support clinicians and individuals with the interpretation of data and alternative explanatory methods
• Management and treatment - New and novel ways to improve quality of life suffered by pain patients

These are suggested themes or areas of interest and are not by any means exhaustive or the only subarea your technology or venture may fit. We actively welcome new and novel ways of thinking about the challenge.

Early Career Researchers will receive

• Consumable & travel allowance (up to £45,000)
• Entrepreneurship training
• Business mentoring
• Access to incubator / accelerator facilities
• Access to industry networks
• Salary replacement (amount to be confirmed at offer stage)

Principal Investigators will receive

• Opportunity to demonstrate the impact of research
• Fast-track commercialisation
• More commercially aware postdocs and students
• Consumables allowance for prototype development (up to £45,000)
• Salary replacement for ECRs released onto the programme (amount to be confirmed at offer stage)

Eligibility

• Open to ECRs currently in the lab from partner institutions (Postdocs & PhD candidates)
• You will already be working on a medical device, diagnostic or eHealth solution or idea you wish to commercially develop
• The technology must address the theme of the challenge, pain
• You must have support from your P.I. to be on the programme

*MTSC partner institutions include Imperial College London, Queen Mary University of London, Bucks New University, Francis Crick Institute, Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music, Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Veterinary College.