Key collaborations
A model of co-operation between Industry and Academia
The DSTT is a collaboration between a specialist research centre and, currently, six pharmaceutical companies.
The participating companies benefit from the 'staggering depth' of knowledge amassed at The University of Dundee into kinase research - which has emerged as a major focus for drug discovery.
The participating companies share the right to exploit the Unit's reagents, technical know-how, kinase profiling service and unpublished results, but they pay extra to license the Unit's IP. Company scientists visit Dundee three times a year as a group for a two day meeting.
The relationship has proved so beneficial for both sides and is now set to enter its third phase which will take the collaboration into its second decade.
Read more about the DSTT and the unit receiving the Queens Anniversary prize, February 2006.
TMRC - Translational Medicine Research Collaboration
This collaboration between Wyeth, four of Scotland's Universities, The NHS and SE is the first global partnership of its kind. The collaboration will see an investment of £50M over 5 years.
The TMRC aims to help the translation of basic scientific research and clinical expertise into effective therapeutics. The collaboration is focussing on the development of biomarkers to diagnose and monitor serious diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, inflammatory diseases.
This enables further development and enhancement of therapies for treating and preventing these diseases.
Dundee University was chosen to host the collaboration's hub lab - this will employ 50 scientists and is a national resource for projects funded through the collaboration
Read more about TMRC at - www.tmrc.co.uk
Clinical Research Centre
In 2005/06 both NHS and University staff were involved in over 650 clinical research projects across Tayside. Many of these were undertaken within wards or outpatient settings, without the benefit of site wide standardised operating procedures and staff training.
The CRC provides a comprehensive environment under one roof, with dedicated and experienced staff onsite, therefore reducing the pressure on NHS resources and facilities.
The £10.5M Clinical Research Centre building was completed in December 2007 and was officially opened by Nicola Sturgeon MSP Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on July 9th 2008.
Currently the CRC has over 102 clinical trials running from CRC Tayside and 11 in setup. These trials cover all health spectrums, including Oncology, Diabetes, Cardiovascular, Dental and Haematology.
To read more about the Tayside Clinical Research Centre, visit www.taysidecrc.org
Policing Collaboration
The University of Dundee is leading an interdisciplinary collaboration of 13 universities and institutes in a Scottish Institute for Policing Research.
The project has been awarded £2.1m to carry out research relevant to modern policing needs.
This will focus on:
- Police community relations
- Evidence and investigations
- Police organisation
Specific subjects that will be addressed include complex and challenging issues such as risk and security and witness co-operation in organised crime.
Funding has come from the Association of Police Offices in Scotland (ACPOS) and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC)
Professor Nick Fyfe (Professor of Human Geography at Dundee), who has been appointed Director of the new body, said that the institute will carry out independent research with the aim of improving policing in Scotland as well as providing more efficient knowledge transfer for policing policy and practice.
Major Genetic Collaboration to recruit thousands of Scots families to help improve nation's health
Generation Scotland is an ambitious and ground-breaking collaboration between Scotland's medical research community and the NHS. The project will be recruiting 50,000 family participants to look at the ways genetic and lifestyle factors cause cancer, heart disease and mental illness.
Clinicians and scientists from the medical schools at the Universities of Dundee, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow are driving forward the multi-million pound project, which will follow the health of the 50,000 Scots family members over the next generation.
The scientific partners are collecting health and genetic data from Scottish families to build a rich store of material to explore the causes of common diseases.
For further information about Generation Scotland, visit: www.generationscotland.co.uk