iCASE Project Call

Projects must align to one of the three MRC DTP Themes:

• CM-HD – Cells, Molecules and the Basis of Health and Disease
• NS-MH – Neuroscience and Mental Health
• BE-MI – Biomedical Engineering and Medical Imaging

Project descriptions should be written so that third year undergraduate students can understand them and should outline the contribution of each supervisor.

Projects can emphasise discovery/basic or translational/applied research. Projects which are translational should involve supervisory input from a clinician/clinician scientist (EITHER the two supervisors can be a combination of a basic scientist and a clinician/clinician scientist OR two basic scientists with an associated clinician/clinician scientist).

College regulations indicate that a postdoc cannot be listed as a supervisor. However, the MRC DTP will consider a postdoc being listed as a 3rd supervisor, or Thesis Committee Expert for the postdoc to receive credit for their valuable input.

Co-supervisors can submit project proposals to both the MRC DTP Core and MRC DTP iCASE project calls as long as the projects are different. Any current DTP student commitments will not impact a co-supervisor’s eligibility to secure an iCASE studentship from this call. The DTP will prioritise supervisors who have not been allocated an MRC DTP iCASE Studentship previously but will not exclude proposals from previously awarded PIs.

The DTP understands the challenges involved in securing a cash contribution from a non-academic organisation. To support these efforts, we will accept Project Proposals at any time of the year where the partner is providing a cash contribution, but if you want a guaranteed opportunity to recruit an October entry student, or your partner is an SME with no cash contribution you must submit by the submission deadline stated.

• UK-based organisations can be considered as the non-academic partner if they can provide students with distinctive research training and experience not available in an academic setting.
• Organisations eligible for UKRI funding (such as NHS Trusts) cannot act as a non-academic partner.
• Where the non-academic partner is a company, it must have an established UK based research and/or commercial production capability.
• In exceptional cases, organisations based overseas may be eligible, but only where they can provide the student with an opportunity to gain skills not currently available in the UK.

Non-academic partner organisations are classified as either small to medium enterprises (SMEs), defined as a company with <250 employees, a turnover not exceeding €50m and/or a balance sheet total not exceeding €43m, or as non-SMEs (>250 employees).

• Co-funded projects require an annual cash contribution from the non-academic partner of £17,500 (£70,000 total for the full length of the studentship). This contribution goes towards the cost of the project.
• Fully funded projects, are available with an SME (<250 employees) partner. These do not require a cash contribution from the SME non-academic partner and the increased level of stipend and RTSG will be covered by the MRC DTP. However, we have a limited number of fully funded studentships, so we would encourage SMEs, who are able to make a cash contribution, to also consider applying for co-funded studentships.
• A placement opportunity for the student (the MRC mandates a cumulative period of no less than three months spent working in the facilities of the industrial collaborator. This 3-month period can be at any point during the studentship and may consist of a number of shorter visits if appropriate. Commitment to this 3-month placement must be detailed in a letter of support from the industry partner at the point of project submission.
• All costs while the student is working at the premises of the company.
• All additional expenses, such as the cost of travel and accommodation incurred by the student as a direct result of placement attendance.
• Non-academic partners are expected to review the MRC DTP iCASE Contract Template between KCL and the partner prior to project submission, confirm their agreement to the contract (and identifying any exceptions) in the supporting letter.
• If a project is selected for advertisement, the contract between KCL and the partner must be agreed and finalised before interviews for the studentship take place; if the contract cannot be signed by this time, the MRC DTP reserves the right to withdraw the studentship awarded to the PIs and partner.
• The non-academic partner may wish to provide additional in-kind support (which might include things such as: access to research subjects, field sites, office space, seminar or industry expert groups, data etc.)
• The involvement of the non-academic partner should be a genuinely collaborative enterprise, provide real added value to the studentship while also advancing the activities of the partner organisation.

An overview of the MRC DTP iCASE Funding Models outlines the contributions of the MRC and non-academic partner in the two different models, one should be selected in the Project Proposal Form.

• The MRC DTP operates a co-supervision model. Both supervisors must be eligible to act as a first supervisor and are expected to make an equal contribution to supervision of the project. As per KCL PGR Regulations, at least one co-supervisor must have supervised a PGR student to completion, and one must hold a doctoral degree themselves.
• Both supervisors must have undergone supervisory development or be enrolled onto this course. This will be verified when the project submission is reviewed.
• Both supervisors must be primarily appointed at KCL/KHP (50% or higher) to be eligible to be a co-supervisor.
• The co-supervisors must be able to demonstrate they have the resources to undertake the project. For lab-based work, this typically means that one co-supervisor must be a primary grant holder, and the grant must be specified on the application.
• Only one project submission allowed per co-supervisor per project call. Co-supervisors can submit a project to this call, in addition to a project submitted to the Core Studentships Project Call.

The MRC DTP will evaluate iCASE Project Proposals according to the four below criteria; percentage weightings are detailed. All applications will be assessed using the same criteria:

1. Supervisory Team: For example, why is this combination of academics and partner organisation optimal for the proposed project? Are the research areas of the supervisors relevant to the proposed work? Do the supervisors have PhD supervisory experience? (20% weighting)
2. Quality of research proposal: Is the topic relevant and likely to produce high quality biomedical science? Is the research area likely to provide a stimulating and manageable topic for the student? (e.g., are the research topic and questions well formulated?) Is there a feasible plan of action? Does the work offer genuine scope for doctoral research? (50% weighting)
3. Relevance of research to the DTP: How well does the research project resonate with the aims and themes of MRC DTP and the strengths and priorities of the KCL department in which it will be based? (15% weighting)
4. Quality of proposed collaboration with Industry: What is the added value of the research collaboration? What is the nature of the commitment from the partner organisation? For example: what additional training or developmental opportunities will arise through the collaboration for the student? Will the partner institution offer distinctive forms of experience in areas which would be unobtainable without the partner? How will training opportunities be structured and evaluated? Please note it is a condition of all iCASE Studentships that the Industry Partner provide a 3-month placement for the student; provide details of this placement and when the placement will take place. (15% weighting)

Note: Applications will automatically be rejected for consideration where the Industry Partner:

• Has not submitted a letter of support
• Has not met the minimum financial contribution required (non-SME partners only)
• Has not committed to offer a 3-month placement as part of the studentship
• Has not confirmed their agreement to the draft contract between KCL and the partner (including any exceptions).

The following wording must be included in letters of support from non-SME partners:

‘’I write to confirm that (insert company name) will meet the MRC’s current expectations of a non-academic non-SME partner contribution to this iCASE studentship for October 20XX (insert entry year). (Insert company name):

• Will make an annual cash contribution of £17,500 (£70,000 total for the full length of the studentship).
• Will offer the student a cumulative period of no less than three months spent working in our facilities during the studentship and further shorter visits if appropriate.
• Will cover the company’s costs while the student is working at the premises of our company
• Will cover all additional expenses, such as the cost of travel and accommodation incurred by the student as a direct result of attendance at our premises.
• Agree to draft contract shared by King’s College London (industry partner to include exceptions…)
• Understand that the contract between KCL and (insert company name) must be signed before interviews take place. We understand that the MRC DTP reserve the right to withdraw the studentship award if the contract cannot be agreed and finalised prior to interviews.

The following wording must be included in letters of support from Small and Medium Enterprise Partners (SME partners):

‘’I write to confirm that (insert company name) will meet the MRC’s current expectations of a non-academic SME partner contribution to this studentship this iCASE studentship for October 20XX (insert entry year) (Insert company name):

• Will offer the student a cumulative period of no less than three months spent working in our facilities during the studentship and further shorter visits if appropriate.
• Agree to draft contract shared by King’s College London (industry partner to include exceptions…)
• Understand that the contract between KCL and (insert company name) must be signed before interviews take place. We understand that the MRC DTP reserve the right to withdraw the studentship award if the contract cannot be agreed and finalised prior to interviews.