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The BIH & MDC Focus Area Translational Vascular Biomedicine invites all researchers and clinician scientists from BIH/Charité/MDC to apply for funding for collaborative and innovative projects implementing translational pipelines that bridge basic and clinical science in vascular biomedicine. The project call aims not only to provide seed funding but also to support high-risk/high-gain projects. Project applications that aim to study the role of the vascular system in the context of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 research are encouraged. The deadline for project applications is 31 July 2020, 3 pm.

Eligibility

All BIH/Charité/MDC scientists with a commitment to vascular biology are eligible to apply for funding as primary submitters if they are not already funded by the Focus Area Translational Vascular Biomedicine. The number of project proposals per primary submitter is limited to one. The minimum number of collaborators per project proposal is two but can also be a consortium. Applications establishing a new cooperation (e.g., across institutions or disciplines or joint teams of junior & senior groups or basic scientists and clinicians) are highly encouraged.

Scope and duration of funding

Proposals are expected to require funds in the range of € 50,000 – 200,000 per project. Funding is primarily intended for consumables, services and investments but can also be requested for the (short-term) employment of research staff in justified cases. Please note that overhead costs apply for personnel. If you plan to request funding for personnel, please get in touch with the scientific coordinators in order to calculate the overhead costs accordingly. Only applications with well-justified and realistic budget calculations will be considered.

The project duration is two years and the respective budget has to be spent within this time. Successful applicants will be required to submit a progress report one year after the start of the project and a final report after completion of the project.

Project requirements

All project proposals have to demonstrate their relevance for the mission of the BIH & MDC Focus Area Translational Vascular Biomedicine and their support for its long-term development. Projects should be developed in the framework of one of the following three focus groups:

  • Focus Group 1: Define and Treat Endothelial Dysfunction and Inflammation [PDF]
  • Focus Group 2: Reverse Vascular Remodeling to Improve Organ Dysfunction [PDF]
  • Focus Group 3: Build and Instrumentalize Vascularized Organoids [PDF]

Projects should aim to solve open questions and fulfill short- or long-term milestones defined in the focus group descriptions.

Should you wish to propose an innovative project idea that does not fall into one of the three focus groups, please contact members of the steering committee of the Focus Area to discuss your proposal prior to submitting your application.

Essential evaluation criteria include:

  • alignment with the overall objectives of the focus area and the specific aims of the respective focus group
  • transformative and translational potential of the project
  • scientific quality and originality
  • adequate project plan (sample quality, experimental design, statistics, data analysis and management) and budget
  • consent of involved BIH Core Facilities and further BIH technology providers (if applicable)

Preference will be given to projects that meet the following criteria:

  • creation of new scientific resources (data, reagents, methods, pipelines) or capabilities for the BIH/Charité/MDC community
  • formation of new collaborations, in particular with interdisciplinary character
  • analysis of human samples or humanized models
  • preparation for third-party funded research proposals
  • adherence to open data standards

Selection procedure

Projects will be reviewed and selected by members of the external sounding board of the Focus Area Translational Vascular Biomedicine.

Applications need to be submitted via the online application portal using the project application form.

If applicable for your proposal, please upload all available regulatory documents in the application portal, e.g., the vote of the ethics committee (dt: Votum der Ethikkommission), the application for animal experiments (dt: Tierversuchsantrag), or the sacrifice notification (dt: Tötungsanzeige).

If you plan to make use of BIH Core Facilities or further BIH technology providers, please obtain the consent of the responsible Core Facility leaders prior to submitting your application.

Dates and deadlines

Deadline to submit project proposals:
31 July 2020 at 3 pm.

Contact

Scientific Coordinators
Rukeia El-Athman
rukeia.el-athman@bihealth.de
+49 30 450 543 315
Dr. Tanja Florin
tanja.florin@mdc-berlin.de

Chair of the Steering Committee Translational Vascular Biomedicine
Prof. Dr. Holger Gerhardt
holger.gerhardt@mdc-berlin.de
+49 30 9406 1780

Application Portal

Applications need to be submitted via the online BIH Application Portal

In case of technical problems with the portal, please send an e-mail to: portal@bihealth.de