Governance

Projects funded through the HTAF MRC CiC are principally collaborations between a UoE-based NHS Lothian clinician and an Engineer or Physical Scientist (EPS) investigator from a consortium University. HTAF aims to partner clinicians who have identified an area of outstanding clinical need with an EPS investigator who possesses a potential biophotonics-based solution.

HTAF works iteratively with project teams to develop proposals that outline the current unmet clinical need, the proposed technological solution (and its advantages relative to standard of care) and where the technology could fit into existing clinical pathways.

Project proposals are then assessed in a two-step process. An internal panel of experts drawn from across the HTAF consortium carries out the first stage of assessment. If reviewed positively, the proposal passes to an external independent panel composed of clinical and commercial experts. Both panels will assess the applications on the following criteria:

• Clinical utility
• Technical feasibility/novelty
• Commercial feasibility

The HTAF MRC CiC award is managed locally by the HTAF Operational Team, consisting of:

• Professor Kev Dhaliwal, HTAF Director
• Dr Paul Fineran, HTAF Portfolio Project and Development Manager
• Dr Anne Moore, Project Manager
• Dr Keith Finlayson, Director of Industrial Partnerships