Cambridge Cardiovascular is a Interdisciplinary Research Centre IRC funded by the University of Cambridge. It is led by Prof Martin Bennett and Prof James Rudd with guidance from a Steering group spanning Schools of Biological Sciences, Clinical Medicine, Humanities & Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Technology.
The Initiative aims to transform Cambridge into a world-leading hub for cardiovascular research. It hosts this website and provides administrative, financial, and scientific support to its members.
Joining the Initiative is simple - just email Denise Hatherly to get started. Members are invited to create their own online research profiles and can request support e.g. to set up peer review and mock interviews for funding applications, to invite potential collaborators to visit Cambridge, to organise seminars and other events, or to advertise events and job opportunities.
The Initiative was first approved by the University of Cambridge Research Policy Committee in 2013 for three years, and was renewed in 2016 for another three. We became an Interdisciplinary Research Centre in 2019.
Cambridge Cardiovascular SRI's original aims (2013) are listed below:
- Pursue the highest quality basic cardiovascular research and translate the research into improved therapies, disease management, and preventive strategies at the population level.
- Raise awareness of cardiovascular research done in Cambridge both nationally and internationally, demonstrating the strength and diversity of the existing research and attracting new investigators and research partnerships.
- Provide a platform for cross-disciplinary research collaborations, major funding bids, research training and educational activities.
- Develop strategic partnerships between disciplines and between academia and industry.
- Identify new ways of influencing cardiovascular health through collaborations between clinicians, public health, and social sciences.
- Develop a cross-School research strategy to maximise funding opportunities and to enhance translation.
- Create a portal for engagement with clinical trials units and with clinicians for the translation of research findings into new therapeutics, devices and approaches.
- Help Cambridge research influence funders and government to determine future research and investment strategy and government policy on cardiovascular health
In addition, the IRC has developed a number of enhanced strategic roles across schools in 4 defined areas.
- Restricted calls. Working with the RPC and PVC office, the IRC has established a process to assess applications for restricted calls, prioritise the applications, and recommend to the RPC which applications should be submitted from Cambridge.
- Senior appointments. Working with the RPC, PVC office, and Funders, the IRC has established processes to assess and prioritise applications for senior appointments and recommend whether an applicant should be submitted to funders.
- Cardiovascular strategy. Working across Cambridge University Partners, the IRC has been involved in developing a Cambridge-wide Cardio-Respiratory research strategy. This work is ongoing, but will form the basis for new strategic developments, capital projects and new senior appointments.
- Technology transfer. Working with Cambridge Enterprise, the IRC will participate in both generating and reporting IPR associated with cardiovascular discoveries to the funders.
