The Novo Nordisk Foundation has awarded a grant of DKK 46 million (€6.1 million) to the University of Copenhagen for establishing a new ambitious research and educational programme called BRIDGE – Translational Excellence Programme. The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen will launch BRIDGE in autumn 2018.
BRIDGE aims to bridge the gap between basic biomedical research, clinical practice and the life science sector by training and educating young researchers in cross-disciplinary research and collaboration disciplines.
“Scientists are needed who comprehend the full scope of translational research and can move an idea all the way from basic research to clinical application – and bring information back to inform basic science again. These scientists are familiar with advanced technologies, can interact with basic and clinical scientists and can ask the right questions leading to real medical advances. The need is huge in industry, academia and hospitals, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation is taking steps to start meeting this need with the new BRIDGE Programme,” says Dagnia Looms, Head of Strategic Awards, Novo Nordisk Foundation.
The Programme fellows will be employed for 2 years, spending 80% of their time on individual research projects within translational medicine. BRIDGE includes an intensive translational education programme, which will take up the remaining 20%. The BRIDGE teaching programme comprises 13 courses, covering tools and technologies in the basic parts of the translational processes, omics- and big data, drug development, regulatory affairs and the ethics of early human studies and will train the fellows in collaboration, management and communication skills.
Read more in the announcement from the University of Copenhagen here.
