The European Hematology Association (EHA)

Research

EHA Bilateral Collaborative Grant

The call is now closed

The EHA Bilateral Collaborative Grant is intended to encourage and support collaboration between two independent research groups in basic/translational hematology research, that are located in two different European countries.

Bilateral Collaborative Grants are for proposals showing a mutual need to answer a specific research question. The teams must demonstrate complementarity of expertise besides the complementarity of approach

The grant is for 2 years, at €160.000 per year to be divided between the two research groups.

Ideally, the budget is divided 50:50 between the two groups. If this is not the case, a justification must be provided. In any case, no more than 70% of the total grant should be allocated to any one team.

Eligibility

  • The two Principal Investigators (PIs) must be basic and/or translational researchers,
  • The two PIs must be independent researchers or group leaders and have a full appointment at an academic institute,
  • At least one of the PI’s must be a junior independent group leader, within 5 years of conducting independent research,
  • If an applicant is a physician scientist, at least 50% of their time should be dedicated to lab research,
  • A demonstration of synergy is important i.e., why do they need each other to properly answer this important question in hematology research?
  • In addition, plans to extend the collaboration beyond the aims of the present proposal must be shared to show how this collaboration will be sustained beyond this proposal, thus providing added value.
  • Note! Any investigator who currently holds an active EHA Research Grant is not eligible. Investigators cannot also apply for another EHA grant within the same grant funding round.

All applicants with questions about eligibility should contact the EHA Grants Manager at grants@ehaweb.org before submitting an application.

How to apply
The application portal
Access the grantee portal and register yourself via http://eha.fluxx.io . Should you have been the recipient of an EHA Research Grant in the past 5 years, or have applied for any other EHA opportunity through the EHA portal-  https://eha.fluxx.io/, you already have an account that you can access, either by logging in using your existing credentials or by selecting ‘Reset or create password’ if you do not have your login details. Be sure to use the email address that EHA has on file. If you encounter any issues, please contact grants@ehaweb.org

Please keep in mind that once you register, it may take up to two business days before your registration is processed and you are given access to the system. Registrations are approved Monday to Friday between 8:00- 18:00 hrs Amsterdam time. You are advised to plan accordingly, as delays occasioned by late registration will not exempt you from the deadline.

While only one PI (PI 1) will submit the proposal on behalf of the collaboration, both PIs must create a profile in the EHA portal and provide personal details.

Terms and Conditions
Grantee will be held to EHA’s Terms & Conditions as described

A complete application should include:

  • Completed online application form
  • A joint Project Proposal of maximum 5 pages outlining a sound scientific plan and including figures and references. The abstract is part of the online application form and does not need to be repeated. If you go over this limit, your application will be rendered ineligible and will not be considered.
  • A clear assignment of responsibilities and tasks between the two groups, Max half a page.
  • Full justification of the need to work together and the added value that this collaboration will provide within the present 2-year grant period, Max half a page.
  • Plan for sustaining the collaboration in the long-term. Max half a page.
  • CVs of the 2 PIs max 2 pages per CV, separate from the project proposal.
    The CVs should include the following information:
    • Education & Employment
      • Position title (Current position at institute)
      • Previous positions and employment
      • Education (Including MD & Or PhD or Hematology Training graduation dates)
    • Other experience
      • Other experience and professional membership
      • Honors and Awards
    • Publications:
      • 5 top publications (Full citation should be given and the impact factor of the journal)
      • Selected peer reviewed publications (max 10)
      • Total Citations (Google Scholar)
      • H-index according to Google Scholar
    • Other projects
      • List of other projects for which you are PI
  • Budget (this will be filled into template in the online application form:
    • The grant can be used for lab consumables, personnel, small equipment, and travel
    • Travel should include cost of attending EHA Congresses during the 2 years of the grant period.
    • Also include the cost of a mandatory external project audit at the end of the grant period of max €2000 per PI.
    • The budget should have both itemization and justification. PIs should demonstrate a well-considered use of funds in the design of the proposed research project. The budget justification should briefly explain how estimated and final figures were arrived at. For example, if you request funds for equipment, you should provide details about the kind of equipment needed and how it will be used to further the aims of the project. The Justification should also include a clear overview of how the funds will be shared between the 2 PIs including the total allocation per PI.
    • In addition, other existing or planned funding that has/will have impact on the submitted work must be disclosed and details provided on how the various grants will be used together.
    • Please note that final budgets are subject to approval by the committee.
    • Although both groups will have the discretion to share the total funding of €320.000, the allocation between the 2 groups must reflect the collaborative spirit of the grant (specifically, not more than 70% of the total to one group and any ratios not 50:50 must be justified)
    • Overhead costs will not be funded
  • Letters of support from:
    • Heads of Department of both institutes on institute letter head, Max 2 page each. These letters should include:
      • a description of the institutional commitment and facilities to support the project
      • a description of how the proposed project will fit into the current research of the department
      • acceptance statement that possible overhead costs for this EHA grant will be paid for with other funds than the EHA grant
      • acceptance statement that the Terms & Conditions as set forth on EHA’s website, are agreed to
      • in case of a Physician Scientist PI, a statement explaining that at least 50% protected time will be allocated for performing the research project is required  
      • signature by the chairperson of the department
    • Signed Statements of Institutional Support (from both Institutes) on the Institute’s letter heads for the application in which the Institutes agree to the terms & conditions as set forth by EHA, signed by the Administrative Authority of the Institute (max 1 page each)
    • See formatting requirements here

What to Expect
Deadline
Application deadline is October 12, 2022, 12 Noon CEST

Eligibility check
After the deadline has passed, the EHA office will check your application for completion and compliance with the eligibility criteria.  Incomplete applications (signatures missing, no budget, etc.) or those that do not meet the criteria for eligibility (not working at an academic institute, etc.) will not be reviewed.

You will be notified if your application does not qualify for review. This decision is final.

Preliminary Review                                                                                  
EHA’s Fellowships & Grants Committee will perform a preliminary review of the applications and decide which applications will proceed to the next stage- an in-depth evaluation by an external peer review panel.

You will be notified whether your application succeeded this first round of review. Other than the notification, there will be no further feedback at this stage.

External Review
At least 3 external reviewers, who are experts in your proposal’s subject matter, will be reviewing your project in detail to assist the Fellowships & Grants Committee in the selection procedure. In your application, you are able to indicate a maximum of 2 research groups and/or PI’s that you wish to have excluded from reviewing your application (e.g., direct competitors) and this information will be considered.

External reviewers will score your application based on the following parameters:

1. Project

  • To what extent does the proposed research address important challenges?
  • To what extent are the objectives ambitious and beyond the state of the art (e.g., novel concepts and approaches)?
  • To what extent is the proposed research high risk/high gain?
  • Can the project be completed in the proposed time frame?
  • Is the collaborative nature of the project justified?

2. Investigator

  • Competence of research partners with respect to the project
  • Track record and international standing of PIs
  • Complementary qualities of research partners
  • Learning opportunities for the junior partner

3. Budget considerations

  • Are the budgeted activities clearly listed and assigned?
  • is the cost estimate of resources/activities researched and substantiated?

This external review will produce feedback for the committee as well as feedback for you as the applicants. Irrespective of the outcome of the application, applicants will receive this feedback after the winners are announced. It is hoped that this feedback will provide some guidance on how the application and research plan could be improved. 

Please note that there will be no further correspondence regarding this feedback.

Based on the external review feedback, the Fellowships & Grants Committee will select applicants to be invited for interview. All applicants will be notified of the result, whether they are invited for interview or declined.

Interviews

If you are selected for an interview, this will be conducted at the end of 2nd week of May 2023,  via videoconference. The exact format, dates and time will be communicated with those whose applications will be externally reviewed.

Both PIs will be expected to participate in the interview. During the interview, you will be expected to present your proposal to the Fellowships & Grants Committee in 5 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session with the committee.

Notification of Award
End of May 2023

Ceremonial Award Acceptance
June 2023 – Grant recipients are expected to attend the EHA Congress where they will formally receive the award during the Opening Ceremony. They will also be invited to attend pertinent events where they can network with other EHA Laureates, EHA leadership, and leading thought leaders in Hematology in Europe and globally.

For Recipients
PIs selected as winners will receive complimentary registration for the next EHA annual congress. If it is an in-person meeting, you will receive your award during the opening ceremony, and you will be invited to pertinent social events. In the budget, the cost for travel to and accommodation at the EHA Congress should be included.

Funding Agreement
Both PIs will provide necessary information for the funding agreement, e.g., bank details, project start date (note that you are required to start your project within one year of being awarded), etc. The PIs and their Institutes will be required to sign the funding agreement, which refers to the Terms & Conditions that will have been read and approved during the application phase. Withholding this approval can result in ineligibility of the applicants and the withdrawal of the award.

Obligations
Once the funding agreement has been signed by all parties, EHA will transfer the first installment to the institutes (according to the disbursement schedule in the agreement).

An interim Scientific and Financial Report is expected halfway through the project. PI 1 is expected to submit these reports on behalf of the collaboration. Only 1 Scientific Report is expected but 2 financial statements from the respective institutes are expected. Upon receipt and favorable review of these reports, the next installment of the funding will be paid. The templates for these reports will be provided after receipt of the award.

Any publication arising from the work funded by EHA, must acknowledge EHA funding as stated in the Terms & Conditions.

Amendments
Any deviations from the approved project scope or budget are to be formally requested before being implemented. Please see Terms & Conditions or ask the Grants Manager via grants@ehaweb.org.

Finishing the grant period
Final reports must be submitted within 6 weeks of the project end date. Both financial and scientific reports are required. The scientific report should be submitted on behalf of the collaboration by PI 1. The financial reports from both institutes must be audited & signed off by an external auditor and the institute’s financial head. These should then be collated and submitted by PI 1.

Questions?
Contact the Grants Manager at grants@ehaweb.org 

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