Apply now for the 2023 CRACK IT Challenges
Aim of the CRACK IT Challenges
The CRACK IT challenges aim to encourage the development and commercialization of products, tools and technologies in the field of 3Rs by promoting collaborations between industry, SMEs and academia based in the UK and Europe. NC3Rs funds a large part of the competition in addition to contributions from industry sponsors.
The CRACK IT competition comprises three types of challenges. Single Phase Challenges are focussing on the validation of new technologies that are already close to the market. Two Phase Challenges may comprise the development and validation of new technologies. Mega Challenge are large-scale R&D projects requiring more funds and are performed in three phases.
2023 Challenges
- Challenge 44 ‘SensOoChip’ is a mega challenge aiming to increase the reproducibility of Organ-on-a-Chip (OoC) by integrating real-time monitoring and data modelling. This would allow to overcome the current limits of OoC technology and to boost their (regulatory) uptake. More information in the briefing webinar, available here.
- Challenge 45 ‘Cross DART’ aims to develop and qualify an in vitro testing strategy that could predict the teratogenic toxicity of pharmaceutical drug candidates more reliably than the standard in vivo tests which are not always predictive of human. More information via the briefing webinar, available here.
- Challenge 46 ‘FET4Thyroid’ targets the development of a fish eleuthero-embryo assay to identify thyroid-mediated endocrine disruption. The assay should comply with OECD principles, so that it can be used in a regulatory context. More information via the briefing webinar, available here.
- Challenge 47 ‘aTRACKtive’ is focussing on the establishment of an improved non-invasive and non-toxic system to track and identify individual mice from their early life stages to better understand their behaviour and welfare. This system is intended for home cage automated monitoring. More information via the briefing webinar, available here.
How can you apply?
The competition is open to any UK or European organisation (public or private). The application process differs depending on the type of challenge and should be done via the applicable form. More information on the application process is available via the application page. Applications are already open! Deadline for the first two challenges is 26 October 2023 and for the two other challenges 2 November 2023. Good luck!
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