So, the Cancer Innovation Challenge is now live… launched on 24 March 2017 by the Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood at DataFest17, it’s out there. Website launched, press release released (press covered it, yay!), flyers ordered, stickers printed, funding call opened, consultation document written, Data Dive organised, meetings galore etc etc
All sounds great, how do I get involved? I hear you ask. Well, let me tell you. (and by me, I mean Steph Wright, Project Manager for the Cancer Innovation Challenge. Get in touch!)
There are currently 4 different ways you can get involved in the Cancer Innovation Challenge so let me tell you a bit about them.
- Apply for funding!
The funding competition for New Approaches to record and integrate cancer PROMs (Patient Recorded Outcome Measures) and PREMs (Patient Recorded Experience Measures) is now open for applications. The information session for interested applicants is on 19 April 2017. The deadline for registering your interest in the competition is 15 May 2017 and the application submission deadline is 29 May 2017. Up to £325,000 is available for the two-phase competition.
- Take part in the Cancer Data Dive
Entrepreneurially minded data scientists and analysts, clinicians, designers, and software engineers are invited to spend 3 days and 3 nights side by side developing data focused projects to improve cancer care in the NHS in Scotland. Synthetic cancer data sets have been specifically created for this event. It is open to all and is being run by Product Forge and will take place 15-18 June 2017 at CodeBase in Edinburgh. Sign up now!
- Respond to the Cancer Data consultation
A consultation period has been launched to invite people to help us shape the Cancer Data funding call which will launch later in the summer. Anyone with experience and skills in working with large complex data sets in secure environments are invited to respond as are clinicians with experience of cancer patient care. The consultation will end on 5 June 2017 so if you would like to help us put together a funding competition that will make an impact on cancer care in Scotland, please do respond.
- Become a reviewer
We have an open call for funding application reviewers to complement an internal pool we will be building. So if you have relevant data science or digital technology or clinical expertise, please do get in touch!
Remember, the Cancer Innovation Challenge is an OPEN innovation opportunity. Anyone can apply, not just those who have experience of working in the healthcare sector. It’s a chance for you to apply your existing skills and experience to cancer care and make a difference to the lives of cancer patients in Scotland.