Tres Cantos Open Lab Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £1,755,516 (2024)
• Success Rate: 28% (approximately 69 projects approved from 250+ proposals evaluated)
• Decision Time: Rolling review by Governing Board (specific timeline not published)
• Grant Range: Up to £200,000 (Discovery projects) or up to £500,000 (Preclinical/Clinical development)
• Geographic Focus: International (must collaborate with GSK's Tres Cantos facility in Spain)

Contact Details

Website: www.openlabfoundation.org

Phone: 01483 307000

Email: Contact via website submission form

Registered Office: Guildford, UK

Charity Number: 1142577

Pre-application consultation is strongly encouraged - the Foundation recommends contacting them via their website to discuss project ideas before submitting a formal proposal.

Overview

The Tres Cantos Open Lab Foundation (TCOLF) was established in 2011 as an independent UK-registered charity, seeded with £5 million from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). GSK has since provided an additional £10 million in funding (2012 and 2018). The Foundation supports collaborative drug discovery research for endemic infectious diseases affecting the developing world, including tuberculosis, malaria, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, enteric infections, and other neglected tropical diseases. TCOLF operates a unique model that co-locates visiting scientists from universities, non-profit organizations, and research institutes at GSK's Tres Cantos Medicines Development Campus near Madrid, Spain, providing access to industrial-scale screening platforms, compound libraries, and expert mentorship. Since inception, over 250 proposals have been evaluated, 69+ projects approved, and 99 scientists trained in global health drug discovery. The Foundation's total income for 2024 was £951,586, with expenditure of £1,755,516 entirely on charitable activities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Discovery Projects (up to £200,000)

Early-stage drug discovery projects lasting 6-24 months. Co-location at GSK's Tres Cantos facility is a key requirement. Focus areas include new targets, tools, screening, lead identification, and optimization.

Preclinical & Clinical Development Projects (up to £500,000)

For more advanced research including:

• Advanced lead molecules with robust in vivo activity
• Clinical candidates
• Repurposing opportunities

Application Method: Rolling basis - proposals can be submitted at any time via the Foundation's website and are reviewed by the Governing Board and Trustees.

Priority Areas

The Foundation funds research aligned with its strategic objectives:

1. Accelerate transformational science: Developing new relevant assays, PK/PD models, exploring new modalities beyond small molecules, chemical validation of novel targets

1. Develop new discovery platforms: Enabling drug discovery on new targets, phenotypic assays, or in vivo models

1. Strengthen the Global Health pipeline: Screening novel chemical diversity, optimization of novel chemical scaffolds, progression of novel and differentiated pre-clinical and clinical assets

Disease Focus:

• Tuberculosis
• Malaria
• Chagas disease
• Leishmaniasis (and other kinetoplastid infections)
• Enteric infections (including Shigellosis)
• Other neglected tropical diseases affecting developing countries

What They Don't Fund

• Research unrelated to endemic infectious diseases of the developing world
• Projects that do not involve collaboration with GSK's Tres Cantos facility
• Organizations or researchers unwilling to agree to WIPO Re:Search principles (making resulting intellectual property freely available for development of new medicines for neglected diseases deliverable to least developed countries)
• Projects outside early-stage drug discovery or preclinical/clinical development

Ready to write a winning application for Tres Cantos Open Lab Foundation?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

The Tres Cantos Open Lab Foundation is overseen by an independent Governing Board comprising leading scientists who provide strategic direction and make final decisions on project approval and funding release.

Key Leadership:

• Professor Peter Piot - Chair of the Governing Board and Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Professor Piot leads the ultimate decisions in approving projects and releasing funds.

Trustees: The Foundation has 5 trustees who receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

The Governing Board reviews all proposals submitted to ensure projects selected are of consistently high quality and align with the Foundation's strategic objectives.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

1. Pre-application consultation (strongly recommended): Contact the Foundation via their website to discuss project ideas before formal submission

1. Proposal submission: Submit proposals at any time through the Foundation's website (www.openlabfoundation.org)

1. Review process: Proposals are evaluated by the Foundation's Governing Board and Trustees

• Collaborating institutions must agree to WIPO Re:Search principles
• Results must be made public through publications, presentations, and/or databases
• Visiting scientists work alongside GSK researchers as part of an integrated team
• Each visiting scientist is matched with a mentor to guide their research

Decision Timeline

• Rolling review: Applications accepted year-round
• Specific decision timelines are not published, but proposals are reviewed on an ongoing basis by the Governing Board

Success Rates

• Overall approval rate: Approximately 28% (69+ projects approved from 250+ proposals evaluated since 2011)
• EU Cofund Programme: 25% approval rate (13 selected from 52 eligible applications)

These competitive success rates reflect the Foundation's commitment to funding high-quality, transformational research.

Reapplication Policy

Information about reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants is not explicitly published. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the Foundation directly to discuss project ideas, including revised proposals.

Application Success Factors

Collaboration and Integration:

The Foundation seeks partners who share its principles in tackling infectious diseases. Projects must demonstrate genuine collaboration potential with GSK teams at Tres Cantos, with visiting scientists working as integrated team members rather than independent researchers.

Strategic Alignment:

Successful projects clearly demonstrate how they meet one or more of the Foundation's strategic objectives: accelerating transformational science, developing new discovery platforms, or strengthening the Global Health pipeline.

Open Science Commitment:

Applicants must be willing to make results publicly available and agree to WIPO Re:Search principles. This commitment to open innovation and access is fundamental to the Foundation's mission.

Example Success Stories:

• Tuberculosis drug candidate GSK-2556286: A project run in collaboration with the Institute Pasteur Korea was critical in identifying this novel clinical candidate with best-in-class potential

• Weill Cornell Medical College TB research: Dr. Warrier successfully screened 269,000 GSK compounds against TB using an assay developed at Weill Cornell, leading to significant pipeline advancement

• Medicinal chemistry impact: 21 projects have benefited from the Foundation's support, enabling hits to be progressed, validated, or discarded, with new antimicrobial chemical classes identified across target diseases

Quality and Scientific Rigor:

The Governing Board, composed of leading scientists, ensures that only projects of consistently high quality are selected. Applications should demonstrate scientific excellence and feasibility within the 6-24 month timeframe (for Discovery projects).

Disease Relevance:

Projects must focus on diseases that primarily affect developing countries, with clear potential to lead to new medicines deliverable to least developed countries.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Pre-application engagement is essential: The Foundation strongly encourages discussion before formal submission - use this opportunity to refine your proposal and ensure alignment

• Demonstrate collaboration readiness: This is not a traditional grant - you will be co-locating at GSK's facility and working as an integrated team member. Show you understand and embrace this collaborative model

• Commit to open science: Agreement to WIPO Re:Search principles is mandatory. Your proposal should clearly articulate how you will make results publicly available

• Align with strategic objectives: Explicitly map your project to one or more of the three strategic objectives (transformational science, discovery platforms, or pipeline strengthening)

• Be realistic about project scope: Discovery projects are capped at £200K and typically run 6-24 months. Ensure your proposal fits these parameters or clearly justify a Preclinical/Clinical development budget (up to £500K)

• Competitive but achievable: With a 28% success rate, funding is competitive but not impossible. The Foundation has approved 69+ projects, demonstrating genuine commitment to supporting external research

• Expect high scientific standards: The Governing Board comprises leading scientists who maintain rigorous quality standards. Ensure your proposal demonstrates scientific excellence and feasibility

References

1. UK Charity Commission Register - TRES CANTOS OPEN LAB FOUNDATION (Charity Number 1142577): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1142577&subid=0

1. Tres Cantos Open Lab Foundation official website: www.openlabfoundation.org

1. Tres Cantos Open Lab Foundation FAQs: https://www.openlabfoundation.org/faqs.php

1. GSK Press Release: “GSK and Tres Cantos Open Lab Foundation announce additional £5m funding for open innovation research in diseases impacting the developing world” (2018): https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/gsk-and-tres-cantos-open-lab-foundation-announce-additional-5m-funding-for-open-innovation-research-in-diseases-impacting-the-developing-world/

1. Global Health Progress: "GSK's Tres Cantos Open Lab for R&D for Diseases of the Developing World": https://globalhealthprogress.org/collaboration/gsks-tres-cantos-open-lab-for-rd-for-diseases-of-the-developing-world/

1. Weill Cornell Medicine News: “The Tres Cantos Open Lab Foundation and Weill Cornell Medical College Join Forces on Tuberculosis Drug Discovery” (2013): https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2013/01/the-tres-cantos-open-lab-foundation-and-weill-cornell-medical-college-join-forces-on-tuberculosis-dr

1. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery: “Tres Cantos Open Lab: celebrating a decade of innovation in collaboration to combat endemic infectious diseases” (2021): https://www.nature.com/articles/d41573-021-00143-2

1. UK Companies House - TRES CANTOS OPEN LAB FOUNDATION (Company Number 07301222): https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07301222