£2.1M funding available through the CRACK IT Challenges competition

The CRACK IT Challenges competition funds multi-disciplinary collaborations to drive the development of 3Rs products and services that are directly targeted to meet end-user needs. Sponsors (end-users) define the Challenges and work collaboratively with the awarded team, providing in-kind contributions and end-user input to support project delivery. Challenges are also supported by Partners who provide additional resources to Challenge winners, including access to a network of potential collaborators. This year’s Challenges are supported by seven international Sponsors and Partners from across the chemical, pharmaceutical and non-profit sectors.

If you are interested in applying for one of this year’s Challenges, register below for the launch webinars in September where you can find out more about the competition and how to apply. Applications will open on Monday 23 September 2024.

Challenge 48 Wings of Change – Advancing avian toxicity assessments with NAMs

Avian toxicity studies assess the potential adverse effects of chemicals in the environment on bird species. These studies are carried out for internal chemical screening and to meet regulatory requirements for the registration of new pesticides. Large numbers of birds are used and there is a significant unmet need to develop alternative approaches. 

Sponsored by BASF, Bayer Crop Science, Corteva and Syngenta, and supported by Challenge Partners the American Chemistry Council and the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, the aim of this Challenge is to develop a suite of NAMs to assess acute and chronic toxicity to replace the use of birds for internal decision making and reduce the number of regulatory in vivo studies. 

This Challenge will benefit from expertise across disciplines including in silico and in vitro approaches (e.g. QSARs, exposure and effects modelling, cell lines etc). Applications from those working in other fields that could be applied to avian toxicity are encouraged. 

Visit the Innovation Platform to find out more about the Wings of Change Challenge including key aims and deliverables. 

Register for the launch webinar on Tuesday 17 September, 14.00 – 15.30 (BST).
 

Challenge 49 Rodent Shelter – Improving the post-operative care of rodents

The post-operative care of rodents is critical to aid recovery and minimise any pain and distress. Rodents are often singly housed for a period during their recovery and cage enrichment items are removed to avoid injuries. There are opportunities to refine the care of rodents through improved monitoring of parameters such as body temperature and the housing environment after surgery.

Sponsored by AstraZeneca, the aim of this Challenge is to develop an easy-to-use and affordable shelter that provides warmth and a means to monitor the animals, which can use be used in any cage type to improve post-operative recovery and monitoring of rodents. 

Visit the Innovation Platform to find out more about the Rodent Shelter Challenge including key aims and deliverables. 

Register for the launch webinar on Wednesday 18 September, 10.00 – 11.30 (BST).

*The competition is open to any UK, European Union, European Economic Area and European Free Trade Association body public or private. The competition is run using the Innovate UK Contracts for Innovation process.