UQ - Sanofi Translational Science Hub Partnership Scheme

2025 UQ - Sanofi Translational Science Hub Partnership Scheme

Overview

The University of Queensland, Griffith University and Sanofi have formed a foundational partnership called the Translational Science Hub (TSH) with a focus on mRNA-based vaccine therapeutics innovation and translation with a long-term view to collectively catalyse the growth of Queensland’s biomedical ecosystem.

The Master Research Agreement between the foundational partners UQ, Griffith University and Sanofi creates express provisions for the funding of projects that fulfil the primary objectives of the partnership and address both Queensland and Sanofi priority areas. These are broadly focused on mRNA-based approaches to the development of vaccines and therapeutics (https://www.sanofi.com/en/australia/translational-science-hub.

The funding set aside for supporting innovative projects that advance the vaccines and therapeutics pipeline comprise an initial investment over the first five years of the agreement of up to $10 million from each university and co-investment by Sanofi determined on a project-by-project basis..

There are four streams of University-Sanofi collaborative activities that have been identified with funding support available, pending review, to support research activities aligned to the priority areas of the partnership:

• Stream 1 TSH Partnership Seed Funding provides direct support for research projects at the proof-of-concept and pre-clinical stage that align with the objectives of the TSH partnership.
• Stream 2 TSH Co-Investment for External Grant Opportunities provides cash contributions to competitive research grants that align with the objectives of the TSH partnership e.g. funding opportunities from national (NHMRC, MRFF and ARC) and international schemes (Wellcome Trust, Gates Foundation etc).
• Stream 3 TSH Fellowships/Scholarships provides direct funding for EMCRs and HDR students for projects that align with the objectives of the partnership. Support will be provided for both internal schemes and leveraging external funding opportunities.
• Stream 4 TSH Research Contracts will primarily involve Sanofi funded fee-for-service work utilizing UQ expertise and capability. UQ funding may be available to support this work depending on return on investment for UQ and on a case-by-case basis.

Key Documents

• UQ-Sanofi TSH Partnership Scheme Guidelines 2025 (PDF, 385.2 KB)
• Information Session: An information session ran in 2024 with the launch of this partnership. The session recording is available here under UQ internal schemes.

Stream 1 & 2

Key Dates:

Round 1

• Expressions of Interest: Open now
• Expressions of Interest   Close: 28 February 2025
• Successful EOI's invited to submit full project applications: 31 March 2025
• Full project applications due: 23 June 2025
• Anticipated announcement: July

Round 2

• Expressions of Interest open: 06 May 2025
• Expressions of Interest   close: 30 May 2025 
• Successful EOI's invited to submit full project applications: 11 July 2025
• Full project applications due: 29 August 2025
• Anticipated announcement: September - October

Round 3

• Expressions of Interest open: 01 Sept 2025
• Expressions of Interest   close: 26 Sept 2025 
• Successful EOI's invited to submit full project applications: 01 September 2025
• Full project applications due: 10 November 2025
• Anticipated announcement: December

How to apply to Stream 1 & 2:

• Step 1: Review the Sanofi Priority Areas.
• Step 2: Submit your EOI online. The research office will review applications for eligibility and compliance.
• Step 3: EOIs will be reviewed by Sanofi Engagement Managers.
• Step 4: Shortlisted EOIs will be invited to meet with Sanofi engagement managers to develop a full proposal.
• Step 5: Submit your full proposal via email to internalschemes@research.uq.edu.au
• Step 6: Full applications will be reviewed by the Steering Committee and a ranked list will be provided to the DVCRI for funding recommendations.

Stream 3

As part of UQ’s growing partnership with Sanofi, an international leader in immunology healthcare, Expressions of Interest (EOI) are now being sought from UQ researchers interested in collaborating with a Sanofi researcher to develop and supervise a PhD project in one of the following thematic areas:

Immunoscience and infectious diseases

Projects eligible for this theme would be seeking to dissect the immune function in the context of infectious diseases to enable the development of new vaccines or therapeutics. Ideally, these projects will contribute to identifying new biomarkers, translational models, and therapeutic targets.

This theme will invite projects that:

1. Develop innovative in silico tools and models or leverage existing cutting-edge preclinical models including in vitro and in vivo tools with advanced bioinformatic methods to predict clinical disease outcomes, safety, and efficacy.
2. Enhance the understanding of correlates of risk and protection.
3. Investigate the determinants of vaccine performance in humans including safety, efficacy, and real-world effectiveness.
4. Use innovative experimental designs (clinical and preclinical) to advance the understanding of mechanisms of action for vaccines and therapeutics.
5. Expand knowledge of the immunoscience underlying host-pathogen interactions, particularly in the context of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

mRNA platform technology

Projects eligible for this theme will focus on enhancing mRNA platform technology in the context of vaccines and therapeutics.

This theme will invite projects that:

1. Design strategies to optimize mRNA synthesis and stability.
2. Develop innovative formulation and delivery methods to improve safety, magnitude, and durability of protective immunity.
3. Propose innovative formulation strategies for targeted cell delivery.
4. Advance techniques to enhance the stability and the translation of the mRNA.
5. Establish novel methods to improve large-scale manufacturing capabilities.
6. Achieve a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms and factors affecting technology performance, thereby implementing more rational (as opposed to empirical) design principles to accelerate technological advancement.

Next generation vaccines

Projects eligible for this theme will aim to develop next-generation vaccines for targets that currently lack available vaccines or for which existing vaccines need improvement. These projects will leverage cutting-edge antigen design tools, innovative delivery systems, advanced manufacturing platforms or synthetic biology. The research will focus on enhancing vaccine efficacy and safety and will propose solutions that are either in clinical studies or can be rapidly advanced to clinical trials.

This theme will invite projects that:

1. Investigate new delivery systems such as nanoparticle delivery systems and synthetic biology.
2. Develop vaccines against new targets through the creation of advanced antigen design tools.
3. Explore alternative vaccine delivery routes to improve protective immunity in the relevant tissue compartments, tailored to the specific infectious disease targets.

How to apply to Stream 3:

• Step 1: Review your eligibility. UQ researchers submitting an EOI must:

1. Be eligible to supervise HDR students at UQ
2. Have completed the Contemporary Expectations of HDR supervision training and Supervising Indigenous HDR Candidates training module within the last 5 years, and
3. Have the capacity to supervise a PhD student. Please consider any factors that may impact capacity to resource and supervise the project for the full duration of the PhD.    

• Step 2: Review the three thematic areas
• Step 3: Submit your EOI online:  UQ-Sanofi PhD project EOI Checkbox survey
  Please note that a closing date for submitting a Stream 3 EOI does not currently apply; however, Sanofi may review this in the future.
• Step 4: The submitted EOI and any supporting documents will be shared with Sanofi, who will circulate the proposed research project to Sanofi scientists aligned with the thematic area.
• Step 5: If there is interest from a Sanofi scientist, Sanofi will then facilitate the discussion about a co-supervised PhD project.
• Step 6: Successful EOI’s will be eligible to advertise for a fully funded PhD scholarship for the project, which includes a living allowance stipend of $50,000 per annum and a tuition fee scholarship. International students will also receive overseas student health cover (OSHC) funded by Sanofi.
  Unsuccessful EOI's will be notified by Sanofi to the UQ researcher via email.

A brief overview of the process is as follows:

Stream 4

Stream 4 TSH Research Contracts can proceed as Contract Research. Researchers interested in Stream 4 should liaise with their Research Commercial Manager. 

Sanofi Priority Areas

The Vaccines business at Sanofi is interested in partnering opportunities in the field of active and passive human immunization, as well as technologies supporting product development, clinical and industrial performance, including: