Pilot projects
We are delighted to announce that we have some funding available for several small-scale pilot projects, preferably those where staff costs are minimal or not required. Due to the short time available for completing these pilot projects, we will not be able to consider applications where new staff will be recruited.
We are looking for a number of projects costing £5-10k and where the project can be completed within a few months. The absolute deadline for ending projects is 29th August 2025.
The deadline for applications is very tight: Monday 17th March 2025. This is so that applications can be reviewed and evaluated. Applicants should know the outcome in early April.
For any queries, please contact clirpath-ai (at) manchester.ac.uk
NB for the email address to work, you must replace (at) with @, no spaces.
Funding to acquire new data
The AI community can only make progress on developing new analysis models if they have data to work on. At present there is a very limited number of data sets available and this is seen as a major barrier to further development. This call is therefore a targeted call for projects where the focus is to generate high quality data sets, of either Raman or IR hyperspectral images or maps, of tissue samples that have annotations and metadata associated with them so that they can be made freely available to the community. This call is looking for proposals where significant new data will be generated from a large number of samples (likely to be TMAs). We have £50k available and we would be able to fund one large project or several smaller projects. Please note that, in line with EPSRC policy, we can only award 80% of the cost of the project.
The closing date for proposals has now passed, but if you have a project you would like to discuss, please contact clirpath-ai (at) manchester.ac.uk
NB for the email address to work, you must replace (at) with @, no spaces.
Collection of existing data set
We are aware that several groups will have data sets, but for various reasons have not yet made these freely available or are available but are not easily findable. We therefore would like to hear from any groups who have significant data sets and would be happy to share these more widely. A small amount of funding may be available to get the data sets into a state where they could be made freely available to the community. This might require funding for pathology time to annotate a number of cores so that model training can be achieved. We would like to see as many examples as possible of data set that are fully compatible with the FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse of digital assets) principles. Please note that, in line with EPSRC policy, we can only award 80% of the cost of the project.
The closing date for proposals has now passed, but if you have a project you would like to discuss, please contact clirpath-ai (at) manchester.ac.uk
NB for the email address to work, you must replace (at) with @, no spaces.
Pump-priming
We were awarded £400,000 to be allocated to pump-priming projects that would accelerate the integration of SHP, DP and AI. They were to be broadly aligned with our work packages but not limited to them. Applications were welcomed from anyone who was eligible for EPSRC funding and were based primarily on scientific excellence. Preference was given to those who were actively engaged with the Network and attended the Sandpit session where the Network Challenges were discussed. Seven out of eight projects have been funded, with each project being awarded a maximum of £50k. In line with EPSRC policy, 80% of the cost of each project was funded.
Applications are currently closed.
Training fund
A training fund is available specifically to fund post doctoral and early career researchers to spend short periods of time (up to two months) visiting and working in the laboratory of a network partner to gain experience in a technique or methodology not available in the home laboratory. Grants up to the value of £2500 can be applied for to assist with travel and accommodation.
Applications are open at all times.
Discipline-hopping conference fund
This is for network members to attend conferences that are interdisciplinary, or are not in the member’s normal area of expertise.
This fund will primarily be used for:
1. Groups working in spectral pathology to attend an international medical conference in oncology and pathology and DP. The aim is to present the spectral pathology work to new audiences who are unaware of these technologies
2. Clinicians and AI scientists who would not normally attend biomedical spectroscopy conferences, to actively participate in such events
It is anticipated that this may lead to new collaborations, new funding, and hopefully larger scale multi-centre clinical trials.
Summer School bursaries
We host a yearly summer school aimed at early career researchers working in either SHP, DP or AI, to get together and learn more about each of the disciplines. A number of bursaries will be available each year to heavily subsidise attendance.
For details please see the Summer School page.
CLIRPath-AI is an EPSRC funded Network
