Grantholders e-newsletter

Issue 7, December 2006

1. Facilitating research

One of the Trust's six strategic aims is facilitating research, enabling the best conditions for research and the use of knowledge, to the benefit of researchers worldwide.

In January 2007 the Trust will announce its new policy on the management and sharing of data from the research it funds, requiring researchers that generate large volumes of data to include a data management plan as part of the application process. See our website for background and updates.

Open access – an update

An increasing number of journal publishers, including OUP, CUP, Blackwell, Springer and Sage, offer a publishing option that is fully compliant with the Trust's open access grant conditions [PDF 43KB]. The fee levied for this service will be met by the Trust. Further details can be found on our open access pages. If you are unsure whether a journal you wish to submit a paper to has a Wellcome-compliant open access policy, please check the Sherpa/RoMEO database.

UK PubMed Central – a reminder

A reminder to all grantholders that UK PubMed Central (UKPMC) goes live on 8 January 2007. On the go-live date, grantholders will automatically be sent a log-on for use when accessing the system, including full instructions on how to access and use the system. Visit UKPMC's website for more information, or consult the author FAQs.

Any queries should be directed to Kathryn Lallu: k.lallu@wellcome.ac.uk.

2. Global health research activities: Research Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Final reminder for applications

As part of our International Strategy in global health research, a range of fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine have been launched.

These fellowships are open to basic scientists, social scientists, public health researchers and clinical researchers from developing countries, and cover all levels of career support from Master's training to senior fellowships. The next deadline is 18 December 2006 for preliminary applications.

3. Changes to application forms

Updated application forms will be published on eGrants in January 2007. A new question asks applicants to provide data management and sharing plans in line with our new policy (see above), and additional information in the case of applications for clinical trials will be required.

A new application form for equipment grants, biomedical resources grants and technology development grants will also be available. Biomedical resources and technology development grants will require a preliminary application, (already required for equipment grants) from January. Visit our website in January for further information.

4. Translation Awards for translational research and development in biomedicine

Do you have new technology that could make a difference in healthcare but is too early to attract commercial investment? We are inviting funding applications from researchers across the spectrum of natural sciences who seek to develop leading-edge discoveries into a form suitable for take-up by the healthcare industry.

Strategic Translation Awards in Seeding Drug Discovery - call for proposals

The objective of the initiative is to develop drug-like, small molecules that will be the springboard for further research and development in areas of unmet medical need. The next deadline for preliminary applications is 4 May 2007. See our website for full details of the application process.

5. The Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium

Genotype data generated from this large-scale whole genome study is now available. Find out how to gain access on the Case Control Consortium website.

6. Update: Research ethics

Please note the forthcoming changes to the arrangements for ethical review of research tissue banks by NHS Research Ethics Committees, partly to reflect the introduction of the Human Tissue Act, partly to streamline and reduce the level of ethical review of tissue research.

7. Knockout mouse resource

Invitations are invited from researchers for a limited number of gene knockout mouse strains and associated phenotypic data. Access to these collections will provide valuable models for the study of human disease. Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications is 13 January 2007. Find out more on our website.

8. NC3Rs Guidelines on Primate Accommodation, Care and Use

The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, MRC, BBSRC and the AMRC, has recently updated the guidelines on primate accommodation, care and use. The guidelines apply to any research involving primates conducted in the UK and abroad which is funded by the Trust. See our NC3Rs page for more.

9. Medical Microbiology and Virology Trainees Research Workshop

The Royal College of Pathologists will be hosting a workshop on Tuesday 16 January 2007 to encourage research amongst trainees in Medical Microbiology and Virology. Trainees will have the opportunity to meet eminent clinical academics, listen to experts in the field and to discuss trainees' research projects with clinical academics. The closing date for applications to attend is 15 January 2007. Book online if you are interested.

10. From Biobanks to Biomarkers

The report of the conference 'From Biobanks to Biomarkers: Translating the potential of human population genetics research to improve the quality of health of the EU citizen', jointly funded by the Wellcome Trust and the European Commission can be viewed online or downloaded. For a hard copy, please contact publishing@wellcome.ac.uk.

11. Open access papers: recent highlights

Working with HIV

In Zimbabwe, with high HIV rates, limited public health resources and a strong stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, Dr Liz Corbett showed that when voluntary counselling and testing are made available on-site to business employees, take-up is 12 times higher than when off-site. This suggests that convenient access to these facilities could significantly improve early detection and, consequentially, treatment of HIV infections in Zimbabwe, and potentially in other communities.

Corbett E et al. Uptake of Workplace HIV Counselling and Testing: A Cluster-Randomised Trial in Zimbabwe. PLoS Med 2006;3(7):e238.

Decoding depression

Ma-Li Wong and colleagues at the University of Miami, the University of California and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have investigated the association between genes encoding cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) and susceptibility to major depressive disorder, one of the most common psychiatric disorders worldwide. They found that variation in different forms of PDEs were associated with major depressive disorder and the response to antidepressants. This may raise the possibility of targeting the PDEs as a treatment strategy for major depression.

Ma-Li Wong et al. Phosphodiesterase genes are associated with susceptibility to major depression and antidepressant treatment response. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006;103(41):15124-15129.