Looking for funding for drug repurposing projects can be difficult – many funders do not recognise repurposing as a distinct class of projects to fund. For funders, attracting high-quality applications for repurposing calls can also be a challenge – many applicants may not understand what repurposing is and submit ineligible applications or miss applying when they are actually eligible. For users of existing online funding databases, the challenge can also be frustrating – there is often no way of searching specifically for repurposing opportunities. To date there has been no repurposing-specific funding database in existence – until now.
As part of our mission to provide services to the repurposing community, the REMEDI4ALL platform has implemented an online open-access funding radar database (https://remedi4all.org/funding-calls-overview/). The Anticancer Fund, a REMEDI4ALL partner and a repurposing funder, has been leading on the development of this tool.
The aim is simple – to provide a searchable database of drug repurposing funding calls that applicants can use to find where they can apply for funding, and where funders can publicise their funding calls and increase the chance of receiving high-quality applications.
The database includes searching and filtering functionality – and an ability to store searches so that when new funding calls are added users are alerted if any fit their criteria.
The funding radar provides a tailored interface integrated into the REMEDI4ALL website – and will be proactively maintained. Repurposing funders are already letting us know of new calls as they are published, and the funding radar is being included in the workflows for publishing new calls.