Health Innovation Challenge Fund: Surgical Technologies

Proposals for surgical solutions for innovative developments in devices and instrumentation, implants and devices, software, materials, mechatronics and robotics, which will translate into safe and cost-effective practice in the NHS. Project teams should feature strong clinical representation and will preferably be clinically led.

Health Innovation Challenge Fund: Surgical Technologies

Key points/focus:

Applications are sought for innovative developments in instrumentation, implants and devices, software, materials, mechatronics and robotics - including, for example:

  • technology that improves upon current devices or instruments to demonstrably and significantly improve patient outcomes, e.g. by increasing the accuracy and/or precision of a procedure
  • instruments and methods that reduce the invasiveness of current surgical procedures
  • computer-aided and computer-guided surgical methods and tools that improve decision support in the operating room
  • pre-investigative, image-guided assessments and planning of surgical outcomes
  • devices and methods for targeted treatment (e.g. by RF or ultrasound)
  • targeted delivery of therapeutic agents (e.g. using micro-carriers)
End of Grant Research Report must be submitted within three months of the grant end date.

Other comments:

All proposals must meet the essential requirements of the HICF scheme and address at least one of its specific themes, addressing either a single theme within the current call or spanning several themes. Project teams must contain strong clinical representation and will preferably be clinically led. Projects must advance to first testing in man within the duration of the HICF project and have the potential to benefit patients within the following 3-5 years having demonstrated efficacy and received regulatory approvals. Projects must have already demonstrated ‘proof-of-principle’ supported by experimental and, where feasible, in vivo data. Projects must include a plan to progress the technology or intervention to the stage at which it is sufficiently validated, de-risked or developed to be attractive to commercial organisations, not-for-profit organisations and/or healthcare providers. Proposals must include a commercial strategy that takes into account the regulatory pathway, IP management, commercial barriers, health economics and routes to market. The HICF will not fund

  • early stage/ basic research
  • clinical trials
  • health delivery research by the NHS
  • delivery or provision of health services by or within the NHS
  • projects that could secure funding from industry or venture capital
  • drug development
  • regenerative medicine or vaccine development programs

Applications Procedure:

Forms and guidance notes can be found on the Wellcome Trust website.

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