BBSRC ICURe Explore January 2025 – in partnership with NC3Rs

BBSRC-NC3Rs ICURe EXPLORE is open to bioscience teams in all UK universities, BBSRC-funded institutes and approved public sector research enterprises (PSREs). The research underpinning the bioscience innovation, products or services being carried forward for market exploration by the team MUST be building on a previous BBSRC, UKRI and/or NC3Rs grant(s).

ICURe EXPLORE teams must be composed of four individuals:

• Entrepreneurial lead: Any research or technical research staff member who receives their salary or stipend from an eligible university, PSRE or institute (including, but not limited to, PhD student, technician, PDRA, fellowship and group leader positions). This individual must be able to commit full-time for the duration of the programme starting the week of the bootcamp, and have approval of their institute, organisation, or funder.
• Associated science advisor: A researcher who can provide intellectual support to the entrepreneurial lead throughout the course of the programme. For example, an interdisciplinary project may require input from outside the research group.
• Technology transfer representative/professional: An individual from the team, either from or contracted to the research organisation, leading on the commercialisation of the intellectual asset with appropriate technology transfer expertise. This individual must be able to attend essential bootcamp sessions as well as the options roundabout. In addition, they must provide support for the entrepreneurial lead and team during the programme and continued support for further commercialisation activity following the programmes conclusion.
• Business adviser: A motivated individual from a relevant industrial sector who can offer expert guidance and support. Teams are strongly encouraged to name a business adviser in their application. Please contact the ICURe administration team if identifying a suitable advisor is a barrier. Teams are responsible for any agreements or financial arrangements that may be needed with their business advisers.

We are committed to improving diversity across our programmes and are actively seeking applications from under-represented groups, including women, people of colour, those living with disabilities and those from the LGBTQI+ communities. We also actively encourage applications led by non-Russell Group Universities. The spread across different target market sectors will also be considered when selecting applications to ensure broad portfolio coverage.

This BBSRC-NC3Rs ICURe Explore call will specifically support market exploration for innovators of emerging technologies, products and services that offer the realistic possibility of replacing the use of specific in vivo models or refining animal studies in line with the NC3Rs mission. Only technologies and tools that have been developed with previous BBSRC, UKRI and/or NC3Rs research grants will be eligible to apply for this call. Please note: NC3Rs CRACK IT awards are not eligible.

The technology, product or service must fall within the BBSRC’s remit: we welcome applications from across the biosciences, including agriculture, food and nutrition, ageing, veterinary science, engineering biology, industrial biotechnology, and innovative tools and technologies underpinning biological research. Innovations may include:

• New models, tools and technologies in line with 3Rs principles that accurately reflect human and/or animal physiology across the life-course, enabling the advancement of discovery and/or translational health research.
• New tools that would improve the use of research models and their predictive power.
• New innovations that enable improved animal welfare during a research animal’s lifetime. Previous examples of research areas co-funded by BBSRC and NC3Rs for the development of non-animal technologies include:
• The mechanistic understanding of ageing across the life-course.
• The development and testing of novel veterinary vaccines. A more accurate study of microbial diversity and functions of the microbiota on both specific organs and whole systems.
• The study of complex neurological pathways and systems across the life-course.
• The development of novel alternative approaches for the study of bovine tuberculosis.

The examples above are provided to orientate applicants to understand the scope of this call. Applicants are strongly advised to contact us (see below) if they are unsure whether their application would fit the scope of the call. You can find more guidance on how to write about the 3Rs in this webinar on how to strengthen your 3Rs case. Please note, confidential information should not be submitted in the application.

Please note that we cannot accept applications based upon a research project that has previously been through the ICURe Explore programme.

Only technologies and tools that have been developed with previous BBSRC, UKRI and/or NC3Rs research grants will be eligible to apply for this call. Please note: NC3Rs CRACK IT awards are not eligible.

Applications based on medical/clinical devices/technologies, diagnostics and therapeutics being developed solely for a specific end-point clinical utility for human use, fall outside BBSRC’s remit and are not eligible for this call. This includes applications focused on non-animal technologies for use primarily as a specific/single disease-focused model, or for human toxicological and safety assessment purposes; and those developing a technology for diagnosing or treating a specific disease. However, if the innovation/technology has applicability in secondary/tertiary markets outside medical/health sectors and the applicant aims to investigate other market opportunities beyond human use or if this technology can be pivoted and used as a platform technology addressing a biological challenge for discovery research then they would be eligible.

• Funding of up to £15,000 for market discovery activities and business advisor support.
• Cover for up to three months of the entrepreneurial lead’s salary, to fully support the time commitment for customer discovery activities whilst participating in the programme (please note there is a salary cover cap of £20,000).
• Access to experts in bringing bioscience research to market, including weekly 1-hour coaching clinics.
• Access and proactive connections to our network of bioscience entrepreneurs, investors, and funders.
• Game changing online delivery with opportunities for face-to-face interaction and networking.
• Four-day intensive bootcamp (delivered in a ‘blended’ format with two days inperson and two days online) where you will learn how to talk about your technology to customers, develop a hypothetical business model, and identify your customers’ pain points. You will also create a detailed plan of your customer discovery journey.
• Three months of market validation using online software platforms, video conferencing and marketing tools, and face-to-face meetings where possible. This will involve targeting direct engagements with over 100 business leaders.
• One-day online pitch training where you will learn how to pitch your bioscience research to potential customers and investors.
• The opportunity to pitch to an experienced panel of bioscience investors, funders, mentors, and other stakeholders to help accelerate the impact from your research. The panel will give feedback on commercialisation pathways best suited for your project, which can include carrying out further public or private sponsored research, exploring licensing opportunities, or seeking public or private funding for spin-out.
• Selected teams will have the opportunity to access further financial support and apply for various follow-on funding pathways from UKRI. Teams eligible for spin-out support will be required to identify their roles in the future company; any personnel change will need to be assessed for suitability by BBSRC and their delivery partners, NxNW.

ICURe Explore takes the scientific method (hypothesise, test, evaluate) and applies it to commercialisation. You will learn how to use this approach to test what your potential customers think about your bioscience idea, product, or service. In addition, you will receive training and interview practice, and will be carrying out over 100 interviews across the marketplace and acquiring transferrable business and social skills.

Watch a webinar about the programme overview.

Past participants say that having ICURe support, training, and funding to spend on customer discovery has dramatically changed their perspective on their innovation. Hear from those who participated in previous BBSRC ICURe Explore cohorts about their experiences!

• Dr Rasha Rezk
• Daniel Wary
• Faith Howard

Read about 3Rs technologies that have successfully participated in the ICURe programme:

• Pepti Matrix
• ImmuOne

The NC3Rs and BBSRC hosted an information webinar in July 2024 where potential applicants could learn more about the ICURe aims and application process and hear the experiences of past ICURe graduates. The recording is online on the NC3Rs website.

Some research and innovation (R&I) continue to rely on the use of animals as models and as subjects. Public funds must be invested in high quality R&I that meets the ethical and welfare expectations of the UK public. BBSRC supports, develops, and disseminates the 3Rs principles which provides an ethical framework for performing more humane animal research. BBSRC expects all its funded researchers to understand, promote and integrate the principles of the 3Rs. This builds on BBSRC’s established policy on the use of animals in bioscience research and expectations that BBSRC-funded research should be reported using the NC3Rs ARRIVE guidelines. BBSRC works with NC3Rs and other UKRI Councils to support research, and the development and implementation of policies surrounding the use of animals in research.

The NC3Rs is the UK’s national organisation established in 2004 to provide scientific leadership on the development and implementation of 3Rs approaches. Although established as a national organisation much of NC3Rs’ work is international and delivered through collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders from academia, industry, research funders and regulatory bodies. NC3Rs’ mission is delivered primarily through research and innovation funding that enables the development, validation and application of new technologies and approaches which reduce the use of animals or improve their welfare where they are still required. The latter is referred to as refinement and it applies not only to the scientific procedures that are conducted on animals but also how they are bred, transported, housed and cared for. For more information about how NC3Rs delivers its mission visit https://nc3rs.org.uk/who-we-are/what-we-do.