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We are pleased to announce that the BIH Clinical Single Cell Sequencing (CSCS) pipeline opens its first call for project proposals. Until May 29, 2020, BIH invites scientists and clinicians from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) to submit their applications for use case projects.

The BIH CSCS pipeline constitutes an integral part of the BIH Clinical Focus Area Single Cell Approaches for Personalized Medicine. Within the framework of the pipeline, relevant single cell core technologies are combined into an integrated service workflow that is accessible to the entire BIH Faculty. This includes the establishment of a central bioportal for collecting and distributing suitable patient biomaterial, the characterization and processing of samples, as well as the development of workflows of relevant genomics and bioinformatics services for single cell analyses.

To enable the implementation of the CSCS pipeline according to the needs of the BIH Faculty, translational use case projects are needed. Projects should aim to serve as use cases for the CSCS pipeline and/or solve central questions of translational or clinical biomedicine within the BIH Focus Area Single Cell Approaches for Personalized Medicine.

Eligibility

All BIH/Charité/MDC scientists who dispose of independent research funding as well as participants of the BIH/Charité (Digital) Clinician Scientist Program are eligible to apply for funding as primary submitter. The number of project proposals per primary submitter is limited to one. Applicants are expected to have a contract with BIH, Charité or MDC that is secured for the duration of the proposed work.

Applications of mixed teams are encouraged (e.g., across institutions, disciplines, or joint teams of junior and senior groups, or basic scientists and clinicians).

Scope and duration of funding

The BIH CSCS pipeline grants are awarded for one year. Project proposals are expected to require funds in the range of € 25,000 – 75,000 for the processing and sequencing of 10–30 samples. Only consumables are eligible for funding. Only applications with well-justified and realistic budget calculations will be considered.

Please contact the governance board of the CSCS pipeline and/or the BIH Core Facility Genomics and the Core Unit Bioinformatics prior to submitting your proposal in order to obtain a realistic budget estimate.

Project requirements

All project proposals have to demonstrate their relevance for the mission of the BIH Clinical Focus Area Single Cell Approaches for Personalized Medicine and their support for the long-term development of the CSCS Pipeline.

Sequencing is to be completed within one year after the grant has been awarded. All sequencing must be carried out by the BIH Core Facility Genomics (either at Campus Berlin Buch or at Charité Campus Mitte).

Essential evaluation criteria include:

  • fit with the objectives of the Focus Area Single Cell Approaches for Personalized Medicine and of the CSCS pipeline
  • transformative and translational potential of the project
  • scientific quality and originality
  • adequate project plan (sample availability and quality, experimental design, statistics, data analysis and management) and budget
  • written consent of BIH Core Facility Genomics and further BIH technology providers (e.g., Core Unit Bioinformatics), if applicable

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

  • creation of new scientific resources (data, reagents, methods, workflows) or capabilities for the CSCS pipeline
  • formation of new collaborations
  • preparation for third-party funded research proposals
  • adherence to open data standards

Selection procedure

Projects will be selected in a single-stage evaluation by a decision board composed of impartial members of the BIH CSCS pipeline governance board and further experts.

All applications need to be submitted via the BIH online application portal using the project application form.

Please obtain the written consent of the responsible leaders of the BIH Core Facility Genomics and the Core Unit Bioinformaticsprior to submitting your application.

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).

Dates and deadlines

Deadline to submit project proposals: May 29, 2020 at 3 pm.

Contact

Scientific Coordinator
Rukeia El-Athman
rukeia.el-athman@bihealth.de
+49 30 450 543 315

Chair of CSCS Pipeline Governance Board
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Keilholz
ulrich.keilholz@charite.de
+49 30 450 564621

BIH Application Portal

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