In this call or collaboration projects we're looking for challenges and ideas linked to the following disease areas and topics:

Chronic diseases
Including heart failure, kidney disease, asthma, and COPD.

Cancer
Focus on breast, lung, and gynaecological cancers.

Sustainability and resilience in healthcare
Particularly in terms of equal access to healthcare.

Prediction and prevention of disease
Including identifying and addressing risk groups and underserved population groups.

Fast, early, and more precise diagnosis
Facilitating early diagnosis and intervention.

Prevention of disease progression or worsening

Solutions that enable patient empowerment
Improving interactions between patient and care provider.

Some inspiration of what a project challenge could look like:

- What can be done to facilitate prevention of kidney disease in high risk populations? 

- Is there a way to ensure and encourage sustainable use of digital support tools that matters to patients?

- How can we improve healthcare interactions for elderly patients with co-morbidities? 

- What are the best ways to support heart failure patients in their home to avoid disease progression and hospitalisation? 

- When is a lung cancer patient in most need of support from society - and how can that be improved?

What we don’t support
Health Works does not engage in drug development projects, or clinical trials. We don't provide financial sponsorship for research or projects. 

Society is changing, and healthcare needs to adapt. This change is easier when many different skills work side by side, which became very evident during the pandemic.

You get access to resources, knowledge and networks reaching beyond those of your own organisation.

Your project will be supported by a dedicated team of innovation project leaders, service designers and communication expertise with solid knowledge of life science. 

You connect your organisation with learnings and inspiration from other sectors, geographies, and functions, to avoid reinventing wheels or repeating mistakes.

You will end up with blueprints and roadmaps to solutions that are realisable, scalable and sustainable – and most importantly: solutions that matter to those you are trying to help.

• A group of people relevant to address the challenge
• One named person who is managing the initiative from your end.
• A clear mandate to engage in this project – including expressed support from management [that also participates in the project’s steering group]
• An open and collaborative mindset, and willingness to follow the project findings
• Other relevant resources that are particular to your organisation
• Budget for own costs. In all Health Works projects collaborators carry their own costs.
• Note: If you plan to obtain government funding for the project, AstraZeneca will not require part of this, but our time spent can be used as co-funding in your application
• With regards to Intellectual Property (IP), each party retains all existing IP brought into the collaboration. New IP derived from the collaboration will be jointly owned in equal shares by contributing parties. All IP matters will be defined by contractual terms signed prior to project start.

We consider projects where AstraZeneca can add value through
knowledge, network, and experience. Health Works sources projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty where collaborative efforts can have a meaningful impact on health and quality of life for people living with disease.

01

Initiatives or ideas in the explorative phase where uncertainty is still high.

02

Potential to be realised and generalised on a large scale, truly advancing health and healthcare.

03

Projects running between 12 to 24 months and able to start within three months after final decision.

04

Collaborator organisations should represent at least one healthcare provider, patient advocacy group or other Non-governmental organisations or payer authority.

05

We will source 1 or 2 projects from applications meeting the above criteria.

Patient advocacy groups

Non-governmental organisations with health orientation

Healthcare providers and payer authorities

Healthcare professional associations

Applications can be made September 1-30, 2022. We will not accept any applications before or after this time. Applications can only be made using the online form – no attachments will be accepted .

The application format is simple with short descriptors of the project scope, purpose and expected outcome. All projects need a named project owner and sponsor from each participating organisation. You do not need to prepare a budget overview, as all collaborators are expected to carry their own costs.

In addition to crucial background information about your project, the following three key questions will be included in the call for proposals:

• What is the challenge or opportunity you want to address?
• How would you describe an ideal future situation?
• What do you expect as an outcome of a collaboration with AstraZeneca Health Works?

Contact and questions 

Should you have any questions, please contact Stefan Vlachos, Head of Health Works, stefan.vlachos@astrazeneca.com