Dear researchers,

The “la Caixa” Banking Foundation has opened its call for proposals to fund biomedical research projects aiming at facing the most serious illnesses. The Foundation firmly believes that scientific progress and excellence in research are fundamental to the advancement of our society and to find solutions to the main challenges facing humanity. For the 2020 call, grants may be awarded up to approximately €15.000.000.

Aim: foster groundbreaking and highly relevant projects of scientific excellence in its field, that lead the advancement of knowledge, have high social impact, and offer solutions related to some of the most important health problems of our century.

Types of projects:

Projects eligible for this call must be led by non-profit Research Performing Institutions based in Spain or Portugal

Basic, clinical or translational biomedical research projects are eligible

Projects must be submitted in one of the following five Thematic Areas:

a) Neuroscience*

b) Infectious disease

c) Oncology

d) Cardiovascular and metabolic disease: projects associated with cardiovascular risks or alterations

e) Enabling technologies*: projects developing health-facilitating technologies focused on the four previous thematic areas, in the following technological fields: micro and nanoelectronics, computational science, big data, photonics, nanotechnology, advanced materials and advanced manufacturing systems

*The Francisco Luzón Foundation will co-fund one project on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Project categories:

Individual Projects:

Projects are submitted by a sole Research Performing Institution (RPI), in this case the Host Institution.

The Host Institution will coordinate the project. Individual Projects may also include Cooperating Organizations.

Projects in this category may receive support up to a maximum of €500,000 and up to 3-year proposal.

Research Consortium projects:

Projects are submitted by a Research Consortium (composed of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 5 RPIs, including the Host Institution)

Research Consortium projects may also include Cooperating Organizations. The host institution will coordinate the project.

Projects in this category may receive support up to a maximum of €1,000,000 and up to 3-year proposal.

Eligibility criteria:

The Project Leader must be connected, either by statute, employment or other type of collaboration in the framework of this project, to the Host Institution at the time of the grant application.

Team members must be professionally linked to any of the project partners.

Project Leader must have a minimum of 7 years of experience in postdoctoral research, and must have finished their doctoral degree (PhD) at least 7 years before the closing date of the call.

Each Project Leader can only present a single proposal as a Project Leader; however, they can collaborate on other projects as PI of a Research Performing Institution of the Research Consortium or as a Team Member.

The Project Leaders of Projects awarded with a grant from the Health Research Call will not be allowed to submit new proposals as Project Leaders in the three editions following the same call.

The fact that the proposals are submitted as Individual or Research Consortium project, and classified as Basic, Clinical or translational will not in any case be a selection criterion during the evaluation process.

The Project Leader needs the agreement of the Host Institution to be able to submit the proposal. This will be done by an online check by the Host Institution on the “la Caixa” Foundation’s call management online system.

Projects whose results are subjects to rights, of any nature, held by for-profit organizations before the submission of the Proposal are not eligible.

Projects that evaluate the efficacy of safety of products, therapies, medical devices or diagnostic systems of for-profit organizations are not eligible.

Consortium:

Individual and Research consortium projects may also include Cooperating organizations (non-research performing civil society organizations, patients associations and/or companies that carry out activities of the project)

Whether the proposal includes Cooperation Organizations, they must carry out activities of the Project and, therefore, will have an assigned budget. Established companies, or any other for-profit entities of the Cooperation Institutions, may only receive Project funds if they are subcontracted.

When appropriate, the Research Performing Institutions and the Cooperating Organizations not located in Spain or Portugal may receive up to 30% of the total budget of the Project.

Application process: The Application must be submitted electronically by the researcher through the application link available on the “la Caixa” Foundation Call for Projects website.

Deadlines:

Statement of interest: 23th December 2019 through VHIR’s online form: http://www.vhir.org/portal1/MostraInteres/MostraInteres (Projectes investigació biomèdica - Fundació La Caixa)

It is highly recommended to respect the deadline of Statement of Interest to ensure all steps of the submission procedure. Institutional documents and registration keys are required for this call

In case you would need International partners, we kindly recommend to contact us as soon as you have clearly identified the required partner profiles

Internal deadline for proposal review (optional): 17th January 2020

Internal deadline for budget review: 28th January 2019

Internal deadline for applications: 11th February 2019 2pm (24h before the official deadline)

*Please note that the Research Grants Office will not be responsible for those applications submitted less than 24h before the official deadline.

Official deadline for applications: 12th February 2020 2pm

Project Pre-selection and Committees: February-June 2020

Decision announcement: July 2020

Execution of awarded projects: September 2020 – September 2023

More information: HERE and in the rules for participation document (attached in this email).

We want to encourage you to apply your projects in this call. We are working for you to facilitate the management of your proposals in the calls of your interest. Please, do not hesitate to contact us for anything you need.