Collaborating with Chiesi

We look forward to hearing from researchers and physician-scientists who are keen to collaborate with a global pharma company with a strong track record of translational R&D in rare diseases.

Our objective is to award funds to validate early-stage projects with clear therapeutic potential. Successful applicants will be funded through sponsored research, with up to $275K/€250K available per project for 2 years duration.

This should enable researchers to generate relevant pre-clinical data or demonstrate preclinical proof of concept for technologies enabling effective biodistribution of macro-molecules (for example: nucleic acids, proteins) to the following tissues of interest, characterized by challenges in delivery (any or all):

• Bone
• Skeletal/cardiac muscle
• Central nervous system

for the treatment of rare metabolic disorders, for example Inborn Errors of Metabolism, including Lysosomal Storage Disorders. The technology might be brought into the Chiesi Global Rare Diseases pipeline and ultimately benefit patients.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Key Dates

• Extended to June 12, 2022 – Pre-Proposal submission deadline
• September 2, 2022 – Full Proposal submission deadline* (Full Proposal solicitations by invitation only)
• October 2022 – Awardees will be notified. Chiesi will work with the investigator’s institution to enter into a Sponsored Research Agreement (SRA). The research project may begin once the SRA is complete. *Investigators will be given at least one month to prepare for Full Proposal submission.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for funding, the applicant must be a research scientist or physician-scientist at an accredited worldwide university, academic medical center or research institution.

Proposal Submission Process

The first step in the process is submission of a Pre-Proposal (deadline extended to June 12, 2022). This must include only non-confidential information. If you are unsure, please consult with your Technology Transfer Office (TTO) or Office of Technology Development (OTD), or equivalent institutional representative prior to submission of the Pre-Proposal.

Following a favorable review of the Pre-Proposal, selected investigators will be invited to submit a more comprehensive Full Proposal (deadline September 2, 2022). Awardees will then be chosen from a shortlist of promising Full Proposals and will be notified in October 2022.

Pre-Proposal Template Instructions

Please download the Pre-Proposal template here and submit completed applications by extended to June 12, 2022. Please follow the submission instructions to be found in the template. The Pre-Proposal templates are hosted and managed by IN-PART.

Selection Criteria

Proposals will be reviewed by the Scientific Review Committee, members of which are selected from Chiesi R&D. The research projects will be judged on several criteria, including:

• Potential for platform development (for example to address multiple indications)
• Pre-clinical evidence to support feasibility of technology
• Potential to qualify for orphan drug designation and intellectual property protection;
• Strength of prospective clinical impact.

Additional Information

For selected shortlisted Full Proposal submissions, Chiesi will communicate with the appropriate office at the investigator’s institution (Office of Technology Development, TTO, Office of Sponsored Programs, or equivalent) to discuss terms of the Sponsored Research Agreement (SRA) and work on the agreement. Awardees will be notified in October 2022 and enter into an SRA with Chiesi.

An SRA is a contract between the investigator’s institution and the sponsor (here Chiesi) for the purposes of funding and conducting research at the institution. The SRA will include the scope of the work to be performed by the investigator, the project budget, and will provide Chiesi with an option to intellectual property (IP) that may be generated during the awardee’s research project.

For questions about the RFP program please contact: AcademicRFP@Chiesi.com