Quadram Institute Clinical Seedcorn Fund – Open for 2025/2026

Application Deadline: 22 September

An innovation fund, successfully pump priming clinical research projects between Quadram Institute scientists and clinicians at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH), is opening its 2025/26 call for applications, with a closing date of 22 September 2025 at 5pm.

The Quadram Institute Clinical Seedcorn Fund was first established in 2021/22 to help clinicians develop research ideas with scientists at the Quadram Institute. Funding comes via Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB) and the Norfolk & Norwich Hospitals Charity.

• Clinical Seedcorn awards in 2025/26 will be in the region of £40K
• Applications must demonstrate potential impact to patient benefit/ clinical outcomes
• Applications must demonstrate how the project will lead to a major application for further funding and/ or a Clinical Research Fellowship

Applications will be assessed by a panel drawn from across NNUH, QIB and the UEA and considers applications on the basis of potential patient benefit, quality, feasibility, extent of collaboration, innovation and value for money. Applications are invited from clinicians and clinical scientists associated with all clinical specialities.

For more information or for a copy of the application form, please contact lizzie.meadows@quadram.ac.uk

Quadram Institute Clinical Seedcorn case studies

Dr Eleanor Mishra, consultant respiratory physician, is researching the development of a new approach to reduce infections when treating patients with pleural effusions – fluid that builds up in the space between the lung and the chest wall. This condition is normally treated by inserting a permanent silicon drain into the chest, called an IPC. Dr Mishra’s research showed that about 5 per cent of these drains get infected. Working with Prof Mark Webber of the Quadram Institute, they found that bacteria form biofilms on the silicon surface of the drains that lead to infection and make the condition difficult to treat. Once this was identified, they worked with UEA’s Prof Sheng Qi to develop novel silicon surfaces that are biofilm-resistant to help reduce infection rates. Dr Mishra is collaborating with RocketMedical, a UK company which makes IPCs, to ensure that the team’s design is commercially viable.

Dr Emma Webb, consultant paediatric endocrinologist, has been working with Prof Martin Warren and Prof Arjan Narbad from the Quadram Institute to understand more about children with obesity and how the gut microbiome and deficiencies in micronutrients are affecting the health of young people living with obesity. The Microcare Study is looking at what is termed as “hidden hunger” where serious deficiency in key micronutrients such as iron, Vitamin B12, Vitamins K and D causes ill health and drives the body to keep eating in an attempt to obtain the micronutrients needed. The study is looking at the interactions between diet, medications and the gut microbiome. In people with obesity, the gut microbiome is less diverse and may be affected by medication. Seventy young people were recruited on to the Microcare study.

About the Quadram Institute

The Quadram Institute is a partnership between Quadram Institute Bioscience, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the University of East Anglia and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Its mission is to deliver healthier lives through innovation in gut health, microbiology and food and its vision is to understand how food and microbes interact to promote health and prevent disease.

Interconnected research themes in Quadram Institute Bioscience deliver a pipeline of research in plants, microbes, food, and health: microbes and food safety; the gut and the microbiome; and food innovation. The Quadram Institute is also home to the BBSRC-funded Food and Nutrition National Bioscience Research Infrastructure, and the National Collection of Yeast Cultures.

About the N&N Hospitals Charity

The N&N Hospitals Charity is registered with the Charity Commission (reg no 1048170) and is the primary charity associated with the N&N University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Its vision is to support our hospitals to provide the best care for patients, through:
• funding additional facilities and equipment;
• supporting the development & wellbeing of Trust staff; &
• enabling research, innovation & improvement for patient benefit.