The Major Partnerships funding program offers two distinct funding streams and flexibility to accommodate the versatile nature of interactions in the translational and commercialization space. The program supports co-funding of D2R researchers and associated projects with different types of partners by providing a 1:1 leverage or greater (depending on leveraging) for specific projects. The program accepts proposals at any time.

The review and selection process for the Major Partnerships program follows two stages:

• Letter of Intent review: This initial step ensures that proposed projects are in alignment with D2R鈥檚 mission. Approved projects are invited to submit a full application.
• Full application review: Projects proceed to detailed evaluation and external scientific merit review. D2R's Research Steering Committee聽reviews the reviewer evaluations, the project's relevance to D2R's strategic goals and the program budget in its funding decisions.

Major Partnerships Awards

Therapeutic development of the CRISPR-Cas12a gene editing system

This collaborative project between 麻豆AV, Eli Lilly and Wake Forest University involves nucleic acid chemistry and biology and student training aimed at enhancing the drug-like properties of RNA therapeutics. This project will build on chemical design principles, establish a RNA modification platform, and accelerate the development of CRISPR-Cas12a as a human gene therapy for curing genetic disorders.

Principal Investigator: Masad Damha (麻豆AV)
Partner(s): Eli Lilly & Company
Collaborator(s): Gagnon Keith (Wake Forest University Medical Center)
Project duration:聽Two-years
Relevant D2R Axes: RNA Therapeutics (Axis 2)