£3 million funding for UK and Israeli scientists

A further £3 million of research funding for leading UK and Israeli scientists to tackle some of the world’s most challenging conditions including diabetes has been announced by the British Council.

The third BIRAX (British Israel Research Academic Exchange) Research Call will award a further seven projects in 2017.

The announcement was welcomed following discussions on science and innovation between the Prime Minister David Cameron MP and the Prime Minister of Israel, Benyamin Netanyahu, last week.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The two leaders welcomed the growing economic ties between the UK and Israel, particularly the progress that had been made since the PM’s visit in a number of areas, including research and science, with an additional £3 million of new funding for bilateral medical research projects in 2017.”

The partnership was created by the British Embassy in Israel and the British Council in collaboration with the Pears Foundation and The Jewish Leadership Council (UJIA) in 2011 and awarded its first research grants in 2013.

The initiative brings together British and Israeli scientists to tackle some of the world’s most challenging conditions including cardiovascular and liver disease, diabetes and Parkinson’s. To date the British Council has raised over £10 million for BIRAX.

Since 2013 over £7 million has been committed to 15 world-class BIRAX projects including eight joint medical research projects announced in February 2015. These included research to use heart cells to restore damaged heart muscle, identify the genetics of diabetes to find new treatments and the use of breath tests for the diagnosis of parkinson’s disease.

As well as a general call for proposals, the Third Call includes a particular focus on arthritis, cardiovascular disease, type 1 diabetes and neurodegenerative conditions, including alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis and parkinson’s. Successful research projects will be supported by leading British medical research foundations including Alzheimer’s Society, Arthritis Research UK, the British Heart Foundation, JDRF, the MS Society and Parkinson’s UK. Full details can be found at http://www.britishcouncil.org.il/en. Application forms will be published in November 2015. The deadline for full proposals is July 2016 and the successful projects will be announced in January 2017.

Alan Gemmell, Director of the British Council in Israel, said: “Through BIRAX, the best scientists in Britain and Israel are working together to develop therapies and find cures for diseases that affect millions of people. We’re proud to be able to support labs across the UK and fund their work through partnerships with world-leading medical research foundations.”

Professor Chris Mason, Co-Chair of the BIRAX Research call and Professor of Regenerative Medicine Bioprocessing, University College London, said: “Bringing together world-leading scientists from Israel and the UK will accelerate cures and transformative therapies for a number of serious conditions that impact the lives of millions of patients and their carers.”

Madi Jacobson, CEO of JDRF Israel, said: “JDRF Israel is proud to be a part of this unique partnership between the British and Israeli governments. As an affiliate of JDRF international, the leading global organisation funding type 1 diabetes research, we have a strong belief in the Israeli and British scientists and we are looking forward to the discovery of scientific breakthroughs in the field of type 1 diabetes; paving the way for potential treatments that could affect the reality of millions of type 1 diabetics around the world.”

Clare McVicker, Director of Research Advocacy at JDRF in the UK, said: “Regenerative medicine is a thrilling frontier for type 1 diabetes research that offers the potential to change lives. JDRF is delighted that BIRAX is successfully strengthening international research collaboration between Israel and Britain, and we are delighted to once again be a part of this project.”