Cambridge NeuroWorks ‘to revolutionise neurotechnology’ with ARIA partnership
Cambridge NeuroWorks, an ambitious multi-million-pound, three-year partnership with the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) designed to revolutionise neurotechnology, is preparing to launch on 18 December.
Cambridge NeuroWorks will serve as “a hub for original thinkers who might otherwise lack access to the funding, space, and mentorship needed to rigorously develop their groundbreaking ideas”. It will seek out innovators from across the UK, regardless of background, who have bold, ambitious concepts for technologies that could transform brain health.
The organisation will deliver the Cambridge NeuroWorks Fellowship programme, which will empower fellows to turn ambitious concepts into impactful neurotech solutions using Cambridge’s resources. The most promising innovators will have the resources to test and scale their ideas rapidly, ensuring they reach patients worldwide quickly and affordably.
The organisation unites a distinguished consortium from Cambridge’s life sciences, technology, and business sectors to accelerate the development of next-generation neurotechnologies to address critical conditions such as depression, dementia, chronic pain, epilepsy, and nervous system injuries.
The consortium members are:
- Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA): the R&D funding agency was created by an Act of Parliament. Sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, it funds scientists and engineers to pursue research at the edge of what’s scientifically and technologically possible.
- Babraham Research Campus: will support fellows to start, nurture, scale and grow their bioscience business.
- Cambridge Network: not-for-profit membership organisation will play a central role in facilitating collaboration, leveraging its extensive connections with multidisciplinary partners from academia, research and industry.
- Cambridge Neuroscience: gives fellows access to a virtual Interdisciplinary Research Centre at the University of Cambridge which connects 900 neuroscientists across all six schools of the university and has membership spanning 30 departments and affiliated institutions.
- Cambridge University Health Partners: will help fellows navigate the different academic, industry and NHS organisations in the sector.
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust: will allow fellows access to mental health services research.
- The Maxwell Centre: will actively facilitate fellows’ engagement with leading research.
- Milner Therapeutics Institute (MTI): will facilitate fellows to work with experts in healthtech/ neurosciences to ideate unboxed ideas.
- University of Cambridge: brings scientific leadership to this programme through Cambridge Neuroscience, the department of engineering and the department of psychiatry.
- University of Cambridge department of engineering: global leader in innovation, it will provide fellows with access to cutting-edge research, facilities, and expertise .
- University of Cambridge department of psychiatry: fellows will benefit from a rich network to advance innovations in neuropsychiatric care.
- Vellos: promotes impact at research institutions by driving innovation and empowering entrepreneurship by creating world-class ventures.
There are two types of fellowship available: Blue Sky and Frontier.
The Blue Sky fellowship is for bold, speculative hypotheses or ideas, while the Frontier fellowship is for a proof-of-concept idea ready to be turned into a scalable, real-world solution with commercial potential.
Details on how to join Cambridge NeuroWorks are available here.
The launch will feature presentations from Prof George Malliaras, a world leader in bioelectronics and engineering innovative neural interfaces, and Dr Ben Underwood, a pioneering neuropsychiatrist advancing treatments for mental health conditions.
Book details for the 18 December unveiling here.
