Eli Lilly has launched a global Innovation Starts Here initiative, which supports Lilly's commitment to speeding the delivery of innovative new medicines to patients around the world.

Two key components of the initiative include the Lilly Research Awards Program and the Lilly Innovation Fellowship Awards. Through both, Lilly scientists will collaborate with academic researchers on projects to aid in the advancement of Lilly's pipeline. These programs will also further Lilly's investment in R&D in Europe and the U.S.

The Innovation Fellowship Awards Program will foster post-doctoral career development through the selection of innovative research proposals. The awards establish a pre-competitive academic-industry training partnership in which a post-doctoral fellow and academic mentor are paired with a Lilly scientist to provide the industry resources that can enable the advancement of the post-doctoral scientists' research proposal.

The Research Awards Program brings together a diverse group of scientists worldwide in an effort to further the advancement of research in therapeutic areas in which Lilly has expertise, including neuroscience, cancer, diabetes and immune system disorders. The program provides a pre-competitive environment in which scientists in academia gain invaluable access to tools to conduct basic research, and Lilly scientists receive critical information to help inform the future of drug discovery and development.

"Through Innovation Starts Here, Lilly is contributing to a global collaborative culture for idea generation and innovation," said Jan Lundberg, Ph.D., executive vice president, science and technology, and president, Lilly Research Laboratories. "Collaboration is a key component to discovering innovative medicines and improving outcomes for patients. Finding innovative medicines that have clear, demonstrable value for those diseases where the unmet need is great—like diabetes and Alzheimer's disease—is not only a scientific imperative, it's an economic one as well."

Currently, Lilly is visiting academic institutions worldwide to invite them to participate in the Lilly Research Awards Program.