Medical Technologies IKC update: Impact of COVID-19

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Medical Technologies IKC update: Impact of COVID-19

Date: March 30, 2020

The ongoing situation regarding COVID-19 has significantly impacted the research and innovation community. The nature of the impact is evolving and changing over time, however the IKC team is still working, albeit remotely, from home.

We want to reassure you that we are working hard to understand the challenges of this changing landscape, and that we will continue to provide you with innovation support as safely and effectively as possible. Our work on this matter is already in motion, and we will provide regular updates as the situation evolves.

Please see below for more specific updates on activities and previously advertised opportunities.

We will continue to monitor and review our activities during this crisis and will ensure to communicate any updates through our usual channels – please contact us to sign up to our mailing list and follow us on Twitter and Linked In to get the most up-to-date information.

If you have any questions or concerns that aren’t covered by the above and relate to disruptions you’re experiencing while engaging with one of our services, please get in touch with us by emailing med-tech@leeds.ac.uk.

Active IKC-funded Proof of Concept projects

We are fully committed to continual support for our ongoing projects. We are aware that given current circumstances, research across our partner universities has been halted, and clinical and industry partners may be prioritising other activities in the short term, thus impacting the IKC-funded POC projects.

We urge all project teams to maintain contact with your Technology Innovation Manager, who can be reached using the contact information below. We intend to be in touch with all projects leaders very shortly to determine the impacts that the current situation may have on your projects and if possible begin to develop plans to mitigate these issues.

We are happy to grant short no-cost extensions until March 2021 for projects that are currently underway. If this is an option that you’re considering, inform your Technology Innovation Manager as soon as possible.

Where no-cost extensions are not a viable option, inform your Technology Innovation Manager of your challenges so that they can work with you to determine the best way forward.

For specific enquiries, contact:

Graeme Howling G.Howling@leeds.ac.uk

Joe Drake J.Drake1@leeds.ac.uk

Versus Arthritis Medical Technologies Proof of Concept funding call

Our current Proof of Concept call with Versus Arthritis has now been re-opened, with a deadline of 30 June 2020.

Further information is available from the Versus Arthritis website. The Medical Technologies POC Funding call can be found on the left hand menu.

For specific enquiries, contact:

Mandy Wilks M.Wilks@versusarthritis.org

Dr Graeme Howling G.Howling@leeds.ac.uk

Information from our funders

Please also see the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) web pages below for more up-to-date information on the national response to COVID-19:

https://www.ukri.org/

https://www.ukri.org/news/coronavirus-impact-on-ukri-supported-research/

https://epsrc.ukri.org/newsevents/news/coronavirus-updates/

Opportunities to support the ongoing crisis

The Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network have recently posted a number of ways that companies or innovators with potential COVID-19 related solutions can support national healthcare efforts. You can contact the relevant national agency directly using the following information:

Vaccines
Contact Public Health England: nervtag@phe.gov.uk

Ventilators
Contact the Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS): ventilator.support@beis.gov.uk or call 0300 456 3565

Innovation and Tech
Contact NHSX: DNHSX@nhsx.nhs.uk

Diagnostics
Contact Public Health England: coviddiagnostics@phe.gov.uk

 

UKRI have launched a funding call for ideas to address COVID-19. Full details can be found on their website.

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