We are proud to announce that our project entitled RNA and Cell Biology - from Fundamental Research to Therapies, acronym RACE, has been selected for funding in the Teaming for Excellence programme under Horizon Europe, with the evaluation score of 14.5 out of 15 points! The project topped the ranking list out of 31 projects evaluated in the second stage of the competition. The RACE will last six years and will be granted nearly 15 M euro.

The aim of the RACE is aligned with IIMCB ambitious development plans for the years to come. It will elevate IIMCB into a world-class Centre of Excellence in RNA and Cell Biology that will combine outstanding science with professional commercialisation activities.  

The project will be coordinated by Prof. Marta Miączyńska, the Director of IIMCB and implemented within a consortium of three institutes: IIMCB – the Coordinator and main RACE beneficiary, and two partners: the Medical Research Council, Human Genetics Unit of the University of Edinburgh (UoE–MRC HGU) and Flanders Institute of Biotechnology (VIB) in Belgium.

Both UoE–MRC HGU and VIB possess important expertise to actively support IIMCB in achieving its goals and implementing RACE key activities which are: recruiting new research groups and broadening collaborations with external partners, training of young generation of IIMCB researchers for academia and industry, developing modern core facilities, establishing internal systemic technology transfer support (Technology Incubator), and last but not least – digitalizing and upgrading management and administrative processes.

The RACE project will be funded under HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-ACCESS-01-two-stage —Teaming for Excellence.

Teaming for Excellence is a part of the Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area programme of Horizon Europe. It creates and supports centres of excellences that should serve as role models nationally and in the region to stimulate performance, new investments and reforms of national research and innovation systems in countries with lower R&I potential.