All projects with CBCS start with an informal meeting, either web-based or at one of our facilities, to discuss the project's background and objectives. After that, we can guide you toward the next steps in the process.

CBCS works according to a collaborative research model based on a mutual commitment from our group and the involved Investigator. Our collaborations range from limited consultations and open-access instrumentation to complex, full-scale projects spanning several years from start to finish.  No service is too small, and no challenge is too great. Smaller projects and actions requiring limited time and resources can usually be accommodated quickly and without a formal application review.

View the CBCS accessibility document HERE (opens in a new window).

The CBCS Project Review Committee

For more substantial projects, a formal application and peer-review process is implemented to ensure that resources are prioritized according to scientific excellence. Once CBCS has been familiarized with the project details, investigators are invited to submit a formal Project Application to our Project Review Committee (PRC).

The PRC has been operational since 2011 and consists of CBCS-independent experts in the chemical biology research field, including industry representation. The PRC advocates the CBCS Management twice a year after triaging project applications submitted to CBCS during the past six months. Project applications are scored based on transparent criteria, such as scientific excellence, novelty, technical feasibility, and relevance. High-priority projects are resourced with the necessary personnel, while lower-priority projects are considered if resources allow.

Onboarding of larger projects through PRC

CBCS Cost Model

Small molecule discovery is costly and academic funding is precious, especially when embarking on new research. Thus, CBCS strives to make collaboration as cost-effective as possible. Costs associated with a collaboration vary from PRC-approved and small projects to full-cost projects. However, the vast majority of the cost associated with personnel, facilities, equipment, and standard consumables is heavily co-funded by CBCS within academic projects and assessed before the start of a project. Collaborators are expected to cover the direct costs of project-specific reagents and external studies performed. The most significant contribution of the collaborator is the dedication of their expertise and internal resources dedicated to the collaboration.

Find the CBCS cost model HERE.

Industrial and International Collaborations

AstraZeneca Open Innovation. In 2017, CBCS engaged in a partnership with the AstraZenecas Open Innovation program to mediate academic collaborators’ access to AstraZeneca’s annotated small molecule compound library. Projects are expected to focus on so-called phenotypic assays, which have unique translational potential. The AstraZeneca annotated library consists of roughly 14,000 compounds specifically targeting over 1,700 human proteins.

CBCS is an active partner in the Nordic Chemical Biology Network and subnetworks like the Nordic High content screening community.

Further, CBCS is an associated partner to the newly funded Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) program EUbOPEN.

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