TKI-PPP grants awarded to Amsterdam UMC researchers

Sixteen researchers of Amsterdam UMC have been awarded a TKI-PPP grant between € 300.000 and € 750.000 to perform a research project in collaboration with an industrial party. The funding is provided by the NL government (Ministry of Economic Affairs) through the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) and the Topconsortium voor Kennis en Innovatie Life Sciences & Health (TKI-LSH, a.k.a. Health-Holland).

Awarded proposals

Examples of honored projects are the development of a novel nanovaccine that will result in a better treatment of cancer patients, longer survival and better quality of life, a machine learning technique that measures signals through EHG which will be able to predict premature labor based on historical cases and validation of a new treatment option for Alzheimer’s disease uniquely based on naturally occurring brain plasticity mechanisms.

About the TKI-PPI grant

In October 2019 the call for the Amsterdam UMC TKI grant 2020 opened. The Amsterdam UMC TKI grants for PPP projects are available to all Amsterdam UMC researchers who wish to perform a research project in collaboration with an industrial party. The grant is to stimulate Amsterdam UMC researchers to perform research projects together with companies in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).

For the first time the TKI grant procedures from AMC and VUmc were combined. This also meant that the grant amounts available to both UMC’s were put together, creating a pot of approximately 9 million euros to be divided over our best PPP-research proposals.

Jury process

During both selection rounds (pre- and final application), each proposal was judged by four jury members, consisting of two scientists selected from the eight Amsterdam UMC alliance institutes, an IXA business developer and an outside expert on impact (e.g. a life sciences venture capitalist).

Knowing that applying requires a serious effort of the researchers, we were very happy and proud to receive a total of 60 applications. The jury first selected 29 final proposals to go to the final round, after which the following 16 proposals could be awarded:

The proposals

• Next-Gen-Vis: Next Generation gene and cell-based therapies for retinal disorders
  Prof. dr. Arthur A. Bergen, Amsterdam UMC location AMC
  Subsidy of €310.359
• AI-STROKE: Algorithm development through artificial intelligence for the triage of stroke patients in the ambulance with electroencephalography
  Dr. Jonathan Coutinho, Dr. W.V. Potters, Dr. H.A. Marquering
  Subsidy of € 727.900
• AIRBORNE: Artificial Intelligence for eaRly imaging Based patient selectiOn in acute ischemic stroke
  Dr. Bart Emmer
  Subsidy of € 750.000
• CanNanoVac: Novel nanovaccines to stimulate anti-cancer immunity
  Joke M.M. den Haan
  Subsidy of € 342.020
• RAPhID-studies: Renal Alkaline Phosphatase Ischaemic Damage studies
  Alkaline phosphatase to prevent ischemia-induced renal injury
  Dr. Joost W. van der Heijden
  Subsidy of € 591.400
• DEBuT-LRP: Non-invasive and Intravascular Identification and Drug-Eluting Balloon Treatment of Vulnerable Lipid-Rich Plaques
  Prof. Dr. José P.S. Henriques
  Subsidy of € 400.581
• RACE-CAR: impRove endurAnce, priCe and Efficacy of CAR T-cells (‘Faster, better AND cheaper CARs!’)
  Prof. dr. Marie José Kersten
  Subsidy of € 750.000
• Focus-on-Virus: Picornavirus and HIV infection using a complex gut-brain organoid model
  Dasja Pajkrt
  Subsidy of € 627.600
• AQrate: A quantitative and qualitative assessment of EV-miRNAs for signature discovery in liquid biopsies
  Michiel Pegtel
  Subsidy of € 750.000
• Full project title: A novel microbial metabolite and gut bacteria to halt the beta cell-directed autoimmune attack in type 1 diabetes (MIMETADI)
  Elena Rampanelli
  Subsidy of € 305.853
• Cocoon: Combining cord-free uterine elektrohysterography and standard clinical measurements for refining the detection of premature birth
  Anna L. Rietveld
  Subsidy of € 381.741
• HiberTreat: Hibernation-based treatment for cognitive decline
  Prof. Dr. Philip Scheltens
  Subsidy of € 316.800
• STRESS-INDEX: Towards biologically-informed integrated stress profiles in psychiatry
  Dr.mr. Christiaan H. Vinkers
  Subsidy of € 599.000
• HistoSeps: Implementation of a novel therapy for sepsis treatment in the intensive care setting
  Alexander P.J. Vlaar
  Subsidy of € 525.839
• NR4Ants: NR4A antagonists as targeted strategy to boost cancer immunotherapy
  Carlie JM de Vries
  Subsidy of € 373.408
• PPP Brain Tumors: Picturing Predictions for Patients with Brain Tumors
  prof. dr. Philip de Witt Hamer
  Subsidy of € 711.000

We wish all winning applicants lots of success performing their projects!