Health Innovation Challenge Fund launched

The Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health have announced the launch of the Health Innovation Challenge Fund and are inviting proposals from groups looking to draw on it to further healthcare product development.

In a statement, the organisations explained that the fund aims to allow high-quality translational health research to take place and deliver benefits to patients and the UK economy.

A series of themes will run throughout the fund and the first is Advancing Genetic Discoveries into Clinical Practice.

It offers financial assistance of up to 20 million pounds and aims to make the most of data created through human genome analysis to bring such insights to clinical application.

Commenting, Sir Mark Walport, director of the Wellcome Trust, said the organisation, which was founded in 1936, is a “committed funder” of translational research.

“Our partnership with the Department of Health should provide a valuable catalyst to stimulate the research community to apply their ideas and emerging technologies to patient care,” he added.