Car@s colegas,
A elevada competitividade dos concursos a financiamento de investigação requer de nós uma grande determinação e persistência, mas obriga ainda, e acima de tudo, à elaboração de propostas de elevadíssima qualidade. Para além da pertinência das questões médico-científicas, as virtualidades das abordagens metodológicas e tecnológicas propostas e a consistência das equipas envolvidas são aspetos muito importantes na determinação da qualidade de um projeto. Para alcançar os patamares de excelência que permitem efetivamente competir, os projetos de investigação em biomedicina e saúde – sejam em investigação básica, clínica ou translacional – devem incluir equipas pluridisciplinares, interdisciplinares e transdisciplinares, que enriqueçam as propostas com visões, competências e abordagens diversas e complementares. Mais ainda, devem incluir diversas personalidades potencialmente envolvidas no problema e nas suas possíveis soluções. Estas “partes interessadas” (ou stakeholders) devem ser tanto médicos, outros profissionais de saúde e investigadores como doentes e seus cuidadores formais e informais, e mesmo empreendedores e gestores. Mais ainda, devem incluir comunidades e associações, nomeadamente do setor social, bem como autoridades locais e regionais, incluindo decisores políticos. Todos eles podem trazer uma visão diferente a respeito de um determinado problema e da melhor forma de o abordar, enriquecendo assim o desenho do projeto, a sua execução e a divulgação dos seus resultados à sociedade. A aplicação desta lógica de cocriação em projetos de investigação e inovação pode ser extremamente vantajosa e em muitos casos decisiva.
Neste número damos destaque à participação do GGI em dois eventos relacionados com o envolvimento ativo de doentes e cuidadores em projetos na área da saúde. Mais ainda, chamamos a atenção para sessões de (in)formação de Calls de diversas agências de financiamento e para eventos de procura de parceiros para projetos internacionais.
Votos de um mês muito produtivo!
Be FMUC!
Flávio Reis
Coordenador do GGI
Breves
Sociedade, doentes e cuidadores
Inclusão em projetos de I&D na área da saúde
O GGI esteve presente em dois eventos relacionados com o envolvimento ativo de doentes e cuidadores em projetos de investigação e desenvolvimento na área da saúde. O evento “IMI impact on patient involvement”, promovido pela Innovatives Medicines Initiave (IMI) do Horizonte 2020, abordou os desafios sentidos no envolvimento de doentes em projetos de investigação quer na perspetiva dos investigadores quer na perspetiva dos doentes. “The Patient Engagement Open Forum 2021”, evento organizado por 3 das maiores associações de doentes e de promoção de literacia europeias (Patient Focused on Medicines Development, European Patients’ Academy on Therapeutic Innovation, European Patient Forum), promove 4 eventos anuais, com sessões dirigidas a toda a comunidade científica, indústria e sociedade, dedicadas à promoção do envolvimento de doentes e cuidadores em projetos de investigação e desenvolvimento na área da saúde.
O envolvimento da sociedade, nomeadamente das pessoas mais impactadas pelos resultados diretos e indiretos da investigação e inovação na área da saúde (doentes e cuidadores), é hoje um requisito muito importante, sendo mesmo obrigatório em algumas Calls. É um exercício que deverá ser efetuado logo no início da conceptualização do projeto, procurando incluir assim a perspetiva, visão, necessidades e limitações dos doentes no processo de decisão e desenvolvimento de soluções inovadoras para a saúde. Podem ser incluídos individualmente ou de forma mais estruturada e organizada, através de associações de doentes, contribuindo no processo de co-design e cocriação, e também em atividades de comunicação, aumentado assim a difusão e o potencial impacto dos resultados obtidos.
O GGI esteve presente na sessão informativa sobre o concurso promovido pela Fundação La Caixa – CaixaResearch de Investigação em Saúde. O concurso encontra-se aberto até 25 de novembro e visa promover a investigação em biomedicina e saúde, seja em investigação básica, clínica ou translacional. A sessão debruçou-se sobre os principais objetivos do concurso, submissão das candidaturas, orçamento, consórcio e esclarecimento de dúvidas colocadas pelos participantes. Poderá aceder à sessão aqui.
O GGI encontra-se disponível para esclarecer e apoiar o processo de preparação e submissão de candidaturas promovidas por colaboradores da FMUC.
Oportunidades de financiamento
europeu para a saúde –
Webinar promovido pela AICIB, DGS e ACSS
Decorreu no dia 15 de outubro, pela primeira vez a nível internacional, a apresentação conjunta de dois programas de financiamento diferentes na área de saúde: o Cluster 1 do Horizonte Europa e o Programa de Saúde EU4Health. Numa sessão dinamizada pelos Pontos de Contacto Nacionais para a área da Saúde do Horizonte Europa (Agência de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica, AICIB) e pelos Pontos Focais Nacionais do EU4Health (Direção Geral de Saúde, DGS, e Administração Central do Sistema de Saúde, ACSS), foram apresentados os dois programas de financiamento e as respetivas oportunidades associadas. Esta sessão conjunta promoveu ainda uma discussão frutífera que permitiu perceber melhor as diferenças e similaridades entre os programas e o seu alcance, bem como identificar possíveis entidades parceiras. Como sempre, o GGI está inteiramente à disposição da comunidade FMUC para ajudar a dissecar estes programas de trabalho e a identificar possíveis parceiros. Para mais informações, deixamos os links das páginas dos dois programas de financiamento:
Info-Days e evento de Brokerage
para os Clusters 1 e 6 do Horizonte Europa
Estão a decorrer virtualmente, entre 25 e 29 de outubro, os Info-Days que apresentarão os tópicos previstos no programa de trabalho para 2022 referentes ao Clusters 1 (Saúde) e ao Cluster 6 (Alimentos, Bioeconomia, Recursos Naturais, Agricultura e Meio Ambiente). Este evento representa uma oportunidade única para obter informações e esclarecer dúvidas sobre os principais instrumentos de financiamento e processo de candidaturas no Horizonte Europa, em particular no âmbito destes dois Clusters. Seguindo a tradição, a seguir ao Info-Day de cada Cluster segue-se o evento de Brokerage para dinamizar e potenciar a criação de consórcios para candidaturas futuras através de reuniões bilaterais on-line. Estes eventos são gratuitos, requerem um registo obrigatório e são uma excelente forma de perceber as oportunidades de financiamento dentro de cada Cluster e de promover networking, aumentando a visibilidade das equipas. Para mais informação sobre a agenda e links de acesso pode visitar este site: https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/events/upcoming-events/horizon-europe-info-days_en
Submissão do projeto MyMind
Embracing Neurodiversity
O projeto liderado pela start-up austríaca MyMind foi submetido ao programa de financiamento europeu EIC (European Innovation Council) Accelerator. Após uma primeira avaliação positiva à short-proposal apresentada, o consórcio foi convidado a submeter uma full-proposal. Caso obtenha um parecer favorável na avaliação remota, segue-se ainda uma fase de apresentação de um pitch para a obtenção da aprovação final. O projeto é liderado na UC pelo docente da FMUC Miguel Castelo Branco e tem como objetivo a validação clínica de um dispositivo que permite a neuroestimulação em casa em crianças com Autismo e Perturbação de Hiperatividade com Défice de Atenção (ADHD). A UC será responsável pela coordenação do estudo clínico que decorrerá em Portugal e na Irlanda (Trinity College of Dublin).
OPORTUNIDADES DE FINANCIAMENTO FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
The SRS Directed Research Grant is intended to support research which should preferably be designed as a retrospective, multicenter and preferably multi-continent study of a large cohort of patients diagnosed with Idiopathic Scoliosis in childhood and followed into adulthood. These patients may have been operated or treated non-operatively and followed for a minimum of 20-40 years.
Among operated patients, specific metrics should include adequate patient and curve case mix variables, operative treatment performed during adolescence and outcomes such as defined in 'The Scoliosis Research Society adult spinal deformity standard outcome set'. Among non-operated patients, specific metrics should include patient and curve case mix variables, treatment prescribed during adolescence and outcomes such as patient reported health related quality of life, operation in adulthood, curve progression, and associated health conditions/co-morbidities.
Preliminary data is not required but may be viewed favorably. The grant has a value of up to $150,000 per year for three years.
Further information available at:
https://www.srs.org/professionals/research-and-journal/research-grants
The Cancer Research Institute Technology Impact Award provides seed funding of up to $200,000 to be used over 12-24 months to address the gap between technology development and clinical application of cancer immunotherapies. These grants aim to encourage collaboration between technology developers and clinical cancer immunologists and to generate the proof-of-principle of a novel platform technology in bioinformatics, ex vivo or in silico modelling systems, immunological or tumor profiling instrumentation, methods, reagents and assays, or other relevant technologies that can enable clinician scientists to generate deeper insights into the mechanisms of action of effective or ineffective cancer immunotherapies.
These technologies may include but are not limited to:
• New bioinformatics methods or technologies that speed collection and analysis of large sets of patient-derived biological data.
• Computer simulations for modeling biological systems and responses to immunotherapy.
• Tools and methods that improve profiling of tumors to inform therapeutic strategies.
• Real-time visualizations of molecular and cellular activity to improve tracking of responses to immunotherapy.
• In vitro tissue culture systems that recapitulate the interactions between primary tumor cells and the immune system.
Further information available at:
https://www.cancerresearch.org/scientists/fellowships-grants/technology-impact-award
The Osteosarcoma Institute (OSI) is a US-based organization established in 2017 to develop a comprehensive, rational strategy that will lead to major improvement in the life expectancy of patients with relapsed and metastatic osteosarcoma. Within the framework of the OSI Translational and Preclinical Study Grant, funding is available to support projects that contribute to the establishment of an optimal preclinical dataset for osteosarcoma metastasis drug development.
An ideal dataset would have the following features:
• A drug target demonstrated to be relevant in osteosarcoma, rigorously and mechanistically tested in multiple preclinical models across preclinical model species, and in human osteosarcoma cells and/or lesions.
• The availability of a therapeutic candidate or drug suitable for preclinical studies and future human translation; a testable PD marker of effective drug exposure.
• A correlative biomarker that may be translated to human patients in support of optimal dosing.
The grant has a value of up to $500,000 for two years. Funding can be used to support any aspect of the preclinical and translational path.
Further information available at:
https://osinst.org/researchers/#grants
The aim of the MRA Pilot Award is to support senior investigators who propose potentially transformative ideas that do not have extensive preliminary data but articulate a clear hypothesis and translational goals. Resources for such 'high-risk, high-reward' projects are important to establish proof-of-concept, which may then leverage additional funding through more traditional avenues.
The grant has a value of up to $50,000 per year for two years.
Applicants must be a senior investigator, past the initial four years of their first academic faculty appointment. They must hold a full-time faculty appointment at the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) or above.
Further information available at:
https://www.curemelanoma.org/research/request-for-proposals/mra-general-rfp/
With the aim to identify and support the most promising initiatives of scientific excellence with great potential value and high social impact, whether in basic, clinical or translational research in the following thematic areas:
1. Neuroscience
2. Oncology
3. Cardiovascular and associated metabolic disease
4. Infectious diseases
5. Enabling technologies focused on the four previous thematic area
Important eligibility criteria:
• Projects duration up to 3 years;
• Submission of either individual projects (single research organization-Host Organization, HO) up to €500,000 or as research consortium projects (2-5 research organizations and coordinated by the HO) up to €1,000,000.
• Both individual and research consortium projects may also include non-profit civil society organizations (CSO), up to 3 e.g. patients' associations.
• Established companies cannot be members of the project team, but may receive funds for subcontracted services.
• Projects developing studies whose results are subject to rights, of any nature, held by for-profit organizations before the submission of the proposal are NOT eligible.
Further information available at:
https://fundacionlacaixa.org/en/caixaresearch-health-call
The Cancer Research Institute Clinic and Laboratory Integration Program (CLIP) supports pre-clinical and translational research that can be directly applied to optimizing cancer immunotherapy in the clinic. CLIP grants are awarded to qualified scientists exploring clinically relevant questions aimed at improving the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies. The Cancer Research Institute established CLIP to support investigators who are studying critical topics at the intersection of laboratory and clinical research.
CLIP grants provide up to $200,000 over a two-year period. Proposals in all cancers are encouraged.
Further information available at:
https://www.cancerresearch.org/scientists/fellowships-grants/translational-research-grants
The goal of the PF Research Centers of Excellence funding mechanism is to provide funding for innovative team science at institutions working on a thematic area of Parkinson’s disease. PF is interested in proposals that tackle critical issues or problems that are impeding progress in the field of PD research.
The maximum grant is $500,000 per year for four years.
Applicants are only required to submit a full budget for the first year.
Further information available at:
https://www.parkinson.org/research/Grant-Opportunities/Parkinsons-Foundation-Research-Centers-of-Excellence
The EFSD European Research Programme on 'New Targets for Diabetes or Obesity-related Metabolic Diseases' is intended to stimulate and accelerate European research focusing on the identification and molecular understanding of new targets for the treatment of type 2 diabetes or obesity-related metabolic diseases. The Programme is supported by an educational research grant from Merck Sharpe & Dohme (MSD).
Proposals may include but are not limited to:
1. Mechanisms to induce 'browning of adipose tissue'.
2. New targets for improving skeletal muscle or adipose tissue insulin resistance.
3. Bile acid biology as it relates to metabolic disease. This includes actions relating to glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, energy balance and related diseases including diabetes, atherosclerosis and obesity.
4. The role of lipid droplets in the etiology of metabolic fatty liver disease.
5. Mechanisms of glucose-dependent insulin and glucagon secretion.
Individual awards are up to €100,000 to support research for up to one year, or longer.
Further information available at:
http://www.europeandiabetesfoundation.org/workshops/83-efsd-new-targets-diabetes-or-obesity-related-metabolic-diseases.html
Funding is available for research that helps generate an integrated picture of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) at pre-clinical and clinical levels. Eligible projects are studies on PSP and CBD with a particular interest in molecular and cellular (pathological) mechanisms that may operate also in related diseases and translational clinical research involving PSP and CBD patients.
The maximum total grant amount awarded is $100,000 to up to 3 years project.
Further information available at:
https://www.psp.org/iwanttolearn/grants/
Two Grants are open:
1. New Investigator Grants provide two years of funding to a new DIPG investigator for hypothesis-driven research projects. The grant is up to $250,000 over 2 years (maximum of $125,000 per year).
2. Research Grants provide three years of funding for hypothesis-driven research projects. The proposed research must represent an innovative approach to a major challenge in DIPG research. The funded projects must have the potential to lead to groundbreaking discoveries in the field, and transform understanding of the tumorigenesis process or the ability to treat or detect DIPG. Single investigator and collaborative, multi-institutional research proposals are supported.
Further information available at:
https://defeatdipg.org/grant-awards/
Within the framework of the '2021/2022 Global Cachexia ASPIRE' requests for proposals, funding is available to support research into:
• Evidence generation in Understanding Cachexia/Unintentional Weight Loss in Cancer or Heart Failure;
• Role of GDF-15/GFRAL Pathway in Disease;
• GDF-15/GFRAL Biology;
• Natural History (longitudinal) studies specifically related to cachexia/weight loss and/or heart failure.
Individual projects requesting up to USD $250,000 will be considered. Pfizer anticipates a total fund of USD $750,000.
Further information available at:
https://www.pfizer.com/purpose/independent-grants/competitive-grants
The goal of the Marfan Foundation Innovators Award is to provide funding to explore an innovative concept that has applicability to improving human health. Examples could include fundamental research, diagnostic tests, biomarkers, biomedical engineering advances, and imaging advances. The grant programme is designed to provide financial support for investigators studying any or all disciplines involved in Marfan syndrome, VEDS, EDS, LDS, and other aortic and vascular conditions.
The grant has a value of up to $50,000 per year for two years.
Further information available at:
https://marfan.org/resource-library/innovators-award/
The following Action Grants will be available:
• Action grants boosting cancer prevention through the use of the European Code against Cancer and other concerted actions
• Action grants to organize and collect data to understand the safety, quality and efficacy of therapies applied in the field of assisted reproduction and based on haematopoietic stem cells
• Action grants to support the implementation of best practices in community-based services for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), tuberculosis, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections
• Action grants supporting training activities, implementation, and best practices
• Action grants for ‘Cancer Diagnostic and Treatment for All’ including ‘Genomic for Public Health’
• Action grants for the Computer-aided Drug Repurposing for Cancer Therapy Project
• Action grants to reduce liver and gastric cancers caused by infections
• Action grants for developing a pilot project for an EU infrastructure ecosystem for the secondary use of health data for research, policy-making and regulatory purposes
• Action grants to support implementation of best practices on the ground with direct impact on the effort to tackle mental health challenges during COVID-19
• Action grants to support actions to improve access to human papillomavirus vaccination
• Action grants for the initiative ‘HealthyLifestyle4All’: promotion of healthy lifestyles
• Action grants for ‘EU Cancer Treatment Capacity and Capability Mapping’ project - Network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres
• Action grants to create a ‘Cancer Survivor Smart Card’.
Further information available at:
https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/default/files/funding/docs/wp2021_annex_en.pdf
The following Calls will be available:
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-STAYHLTH-01-01-two-stage: Boosting mental health in Europe in times of change
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-STAYHLTH-01-04-two-stage: Trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) tools to predict the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases and/or their progression
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-STAYHLTH-01-05-two-stage: Prevention of obesity throughout the life course
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-DISEASE-06-02-two-stage: Pre-clinical development of the next generation of immunotherapies for diseases or disorders with unmet medical needs
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-DISEASE-06-03-two-stage: Vaccines 2.0 - developing the next generation of vaccines
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-DISEASE-06-04-two-stage: Development of new effective therapies for rare diseases
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-TOOL-12-01-two-stage: Computational models for new patient stratification strategies
Further information available at:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2021-2022/wp-4-health_horizon-2021-2022_en.pdf
The following Calls will be available:
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-STAYHLTH-02-01: Personalised blueprint of chronic inflammation in health-to-disease transition
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-ENVHLTH-04-01: Methods for assessing health-related costs of environmental stressors
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-DISEASE-07-03: Non-communicable diseases risk reduction in adolescence and youth (Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases - GACD)
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-DISEASE-07-02: Pandemic preparedness
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-DISEASE-07-01: Support for the functioning of the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GloPID-R)
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-CARE-08-04: Better financing models for health systems
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-TOOL-11-01: Optimising effectiveness in patients of existing prescription drugs for major diseases (except cancer) with the use of biomarkers
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-TOOL-11-02: New methods for the effective use of real-world data and/or synthetic data in regulatory decision-making and/or in health technology assessment
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-IND-13-01: Enhancing cybersecurity of connected medical devices
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-IND-13-02: Scaling up multi-party computation, data anonymisation techniques, and synthetic data generation
• HORIZON-HLTH-2022-IND-13-03: New pricing and payment models for cost-effective and affordable health innovations
Further information available at:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2021-2022/wp-4-health_horizon-2021-2022_en.pdf
