Status: CLOSED
Read the summary here:
BIV 2021-22 Summary
Deadline: 4pm (BST), 30th September 2021
Imaging of biological samples underpins bioscience research from plant and animal phenomics to drug delivery. Bioimaging operates at all scales from high-voltage cryo-electron microscopes as used in structural biology, to enormously powerful super-resolution microscopes, through to whole plant or animal imaging. As it crosses all bioscience domains, bioimaging is an area of strategic importance for the BBSRC (see the recently published strategy document here).
In 2019, the BBSRC together with the RMS and BioImagingUK funded eight bioimaging Business Interaction Vouchers (BIVs) which demonstrated the potential for these investments to pump-prime new Industry partnerships that result in novel scientific discoveries, application development, publications, funding and training opportunities. To further support Academic-Industry engagement in bioimaging the BBSRC have now awarded two additional voucher schemes:
1) BIV2* to pump-prime small confidence-building new or early-stage collaborations (up to £15,000 per award).
2) BIV Proof of Concept (PoC) to further existing partnerships, or new partnerships working on a product/process/etc., requiring pilot data or further evidence prior to full commercial demonstration (up to £30,000 per award).
*Please note: BIV2 applicants must provide evidence of a matched Industry contribution to be eligible for BIV funding (see Guidance Form). This is not a requirement for the BIV PoC award, although Industry contributions are still strongly encouraged.
Aims: BIVS are intended to develop and expand on working relationships relevant to bioimaging between an Academic partner and an Industry partner that are likely to lead to outcomes of:
• a longer-term relationship between Academic and Industry partner
• improved interactions between Academic and Industry partner
• new funding ventures between Academic and Industry partner
• new research technology transfer projects
• development of bioimaging instruments or image analysis approaches of benefit to both academic and industrial teams
Examples include (but are not limited to) projects that: generate new experimental data; develop or adapt imaging instrumentation or software for a new application; work towards solving technical problems with Industry for the broader benefit of the bioimaging community.
Detailed guidelines and the application form are available for download here:
BIV Guidance for Applicants 2021
BIV 2021 Application Form
Pre-submission email enquiries to Georgina Fletcher the Network Officer (georgina@rms.org.uk) are encouraged, as once submitted, applications for one BIV scheme are not transferable to the other.
If you would like more information please contact either the Network Officer (Georgina Fletcher; georgina@rms.org.uk) or the Network Director (Prof Maddy Parsons; maddy.parsons@kcl.ac.uk).
Read the InFocus article about the 2019 BIVs here