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
| Principal Investigator | Title | Partner(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Nicolas Moitessier | Machine learning models for the design of RNA therapeutics: Development of experimental data | Deep Genomics |
| J枚rg Fritz | Rapid antigen identification platform for vaccine development | M茅dicament Qu茅bec, RNA Technologies and Therapeutics Inc., AReNA, NovoArc GmbH,聽Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Institute for Genomic Medicine |
| Masad Damha | Therapeutic development of the CRISPR-Cas12a gene editing system | Eli Lilly |
Machine learning models for the design of RNA therapeutics: Development of experimental data
In partnership with Deep Genomics, this project aims to speed up the discovery of RNA-based medicines using artificial intelligence. By combining lab-generated data with computational models, the team will lay the foundation for machine learning tools that could transform how RNA therapies are developed.
Principal Investigator: Nicolas Moitessier (黑料不打烊 University)
Co-Investigator: Anthony Mittermaier (黑料不打烊 University)
Partner(s): Deep Genomics
Project duration: 18 months
Relevant D2R Axes: RNA Therapeutics聽(Axis 2)
Rapid antigen identification platform for vaccine development
Announced at BIO International 2025, this project, co-funded by M茅dicament Qu茅bec, RNA Technologies and Therapeutics Inc., AReNA, NovoArc GmbH and the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Institute, represents a major collaborative effort in the development of next-generation mRNA vaccines. The project will build a rapid preclinical platform to identify vaccine targets and test new mRNA vaccine technologies, enabling researchers to respond faster and more effectively to emerging infectious diseases. The project involves collaborations with academic and industry partners to validate the platform鈥檚 utility in real-world scenarios.
Principal Investigator: J枚rg Fritz (黑料不打烊 University)
Co-Investigators: Silvia Vidal (黑料不打烊 University), David Langlais (黑料不打烊 University)
Collaborators: David J. Kelvin (Dalhousie University), Alyson A. Kelvin (University of Calgary), Mohamad-Gabriel Alameh (RNA Technologies and Therapeutics), David Wurm (NovoArc GmbH)
Partners: M茅dicament Qu茅bec, RNA Technologies and Therapeutics Inc., AReNA, NovoArc GmbH, Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Institute for Genomic Medicine
Project duration: 26 months
Relevant D2R Axes: RNA Therapeutics (Axis 2)
Therapeutic development of the CRISPR-Cas12a gene editing system
This collaborative project between 黑料不打烊, 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 (黑料不打烊 University)
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)
