From TEP grant to her own lab at Cambridge

Imagine winning an early career research grant that would help you to establish your own lab at the University of Cambridge just seven years later.

That is exactly how it happened for Dr. Alecia-Jane Twigger.

In December 2016, Dr. Twigger won a Trainee Bridge Fund (TBF) grant from the Trainee Expansion Program (TEP) to further her cellular research in human lactation.

Today, she has secured the prestigious UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship award to establish her own lactation lab and independent research group at the Department of Pharmacology, Cambridge University.

Congratulations, Dr. Twigger!

Find details in the University of Cambridge news article and the Department of Pharmacology news article.

Dr. Twigger was the first-ever early career researcher to win a TBF grant. Now with her Fellowship award, she will investigate how biology controls lactation. What she uncovers could support mothers with lactation and breastfeeding challenges.

Would you like to learn how a TEP grant could help launch your career in human milk and lactation? Applications open on 1 August 2024 – find information here at www.tepgrants.org …

… and please stay tuned for news about the TEP 2023 grant winners, coming soon!

More about TEP grants

TEP grants are for academics who wish to launch or advance a career in human milk and lactation. They are a partnership project of the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML) and the Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation (FLRF).

Two types of merit based TEP grants are available

• Trainee Bridge Fund (TBF) grants provide up to USD $100,000 over approximately 12 months to support a research project that will bridge into an independent position.
• Trainee Travel Fund (TTF) grants provide up to USD $10,000 over a period between two weeks and up to three months, enabling recipients to gain new skills or acquire experience in a different setting and enjoy collaboration and networking opportunities.

Who is eligible for a TEP grant?

ISRHML members who are graduate students, recently graduated students, postdoctoral fellows, early career scientists and clinicians, or those who have recently completed professional training.

Becoming a member of ISRHML means collaborating with prominent global professionals in the field to promote excellence in research and the dissemination of research findings in the field of human milk and lactation. Learn more about ISRHML membership here. 

Applicants from low-resource settings and those with ideas for public health or translational research and projects with a clear trajectory toward sustainable social impact are strongly encouraged to apply for a TEP grant. Learn more about TEP grants here.