A key element of our drive to bring new technologies and practices to life is our £1.1 million Proof of Concept (PoC) Fund.

This fund has been allocated among 32 projects, each aiming to develop innovative solutions to a wide range of healthcare issues. It is aimed at collaborative projects with partnerships being set up both locally and internationally, between medical and healthcare practitioners, academics and industrial partners.

A unique feature of this investment process has been the initial opportunities for potential collaborators to discuss ideas. Before bids for PoC grants were invited, Open Innovation Workshops in each of the key areas addressed by the partnership were set up. These gave individuals the opportunity to discuss current issues and clinical needs in the sector, propose areas for innovation and identify possible partners.

	Led by Professor Deborah Withington at Sound Alert Technology PLC, researchers have been investigating whether sound cues, when used alongside visual cues, could help children with their co-ordination skills.
	Global medical device company Smith and Nephew is forging ahead with a pioneering method of resurfacing joints. Working with the School of Engineering Design and Technology at the University of Bradford, this technique could offer a less invasive alternative to total joint replacement.
	Professor Gary Green, Director of York Neuroimaging Centre at the University of York is taking forward an innovative diagnostic imaging technique which could ultimately replace the current methods used in Magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI) or Positron Emission Tomography (PET).

For more details of our projects please select from the list: