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Case Study | University of Edinburgh academic awarded £25k in funding

University of Edinburgh academic awarded £25k funding from Kidney Research UK through Discover

Dr Neeraj (Bean) Dhaun, a Senior Clinical Lecturer & Honorary Consultant Nephrologist at the University of Edinburgh, has received £25,000 in funding after submitting a proposal to Kidney Research UK’s Kidney MedTech competition through IN-PART’s Discover platform. As part of the award, his research team will also attend a bespoke academy programme provided by Spin Up Science to support the project’s development. 

The five-year project led by Dr Neeraj Dhaun will investigate new scans that image the back of the eye and which might help predict declining kidney function. One of the methods the Edinburgh team will be exploring is optical coherence tomography (OCT), routinely used by many high street opticians, which could lead to a community-based kidney disease screening programme embedded within routine NHS eye tests. 

Bean already had contacts at Kidney Research UK, having previously received grants from the charity for a related research project. When asked about the Discover application process for the MedTech Competition Bean said;

[It was] different to other grant applications! I liked the broader remit of this application with the focus on commercialisation of our work.” 

Bean was inspired to apply for the competition for a number of reasons:

I liked the 1-page advertising for the campaign; the potential for team members to attend the weekly/residential courses; the short application form; the timing (submission deadline early January).” 

IN-PART’s Discover platform helps academics create impact from their research by addressing the requirements and challenges of industry. By submitting research to Discover campaigns, academics establish and increase their presence across industry sectors. Successful submissions lead to introductions and collaborations to drive research forwards.


View the latest campaigns from industry teams looking for academic solutions on our Discover platform, and register for our weekly update of new campaigns. 

Read more success profiles and case studies of partnerships initiated through IN-PART’s matchmaking platforms for university-industry collaboration.

Copyrights reserved unless otherwise agreed – IN-PART Publishing Ltd., 2022: ‘ University of Edinburgh academic awarded £25k funding from Kidney Research UK through Discover’


What is Discover?

Discover is IN-PART’s bespoke technology scouting platform that puts companies’ research and development requirements directly to a global network of academics and research commercialisation professionals in over 2,400 institutions in 97 countries, spanning 6 continents.

To learn how Discover helps leading industry teams to extend their global reach and gain a competitive edge, send a message to our team who’ll reach out to share more information and set up a call.

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