EFSD "New Targets for Diabetes or Obesity-related Metabolic Diseases"

supported by an educational research grant from MSD

Deadline for submission of applications: 1 December 2023

Background

The European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD) was created by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) to provide funding initiatives in all areas of diabetes research. The aims of EFSD are to encourage and support research in the field of diabetes, to rapidly diffuse acquired knowledge and to facilitate its application.

Merck & Co Inc is a global, research-driven pharmaceutical company. Merck discovers, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of innovative products to improve human and animal health, directly and through its joint ventures. Merck Sharpe & Dohme, or MSD, is the name Merck uses for conducting its business in all other countries outside the United States and Canada.

Programme and Research Focus

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 MSD.

To achieve the goals and objectives of this Programme, EFSD invites applications by issuing this "Request for Applications" (RFA), which indicates areas of research emphasis.

Proposals may include but are not limited to:

• Mechanisms of glucose-dependent insulin and glucagon secretion
• New targets for improving adipose tissue insulin resistance
• The role of lipid droplets in the etiology of metabolic fatty liver disease
• Regulation of liver fat content by gut hormones and/or the microbiome 

Mechanism of Support and Review

Research will be supported through the award of grants, each of up to Euro 100,000. The duration of each award may be one year or longer, depending upon the needs of the project and as justified in the application. EFSD may, on advisement from the Review Committee, recommend an award in a different amount from that requested, but which is considered more appropriate for the proposed studies.

Projects requiring higher funding than that specified above are also invited to apply to this Programme, i.e. applications may be submitted to complement funding for a larger project.

All projects need to provide comprehensive justification of their budget and a clear description of both, the requested amount from EFSD as well as the available funding for the project from other sources, if applicable (see Review Considerations).

Applications for an EFSD New Targets for Diabetes or Obesity-related Metabolic Diseases grant are invited from single non-profit institutions or groups of such institutions from Europe and associated countries (for detailed country list, please see here). The principal investigator and any co-investigators must be employed full-time at a non-profit institution and the study must be performed at their place of work.  

Applications will be subject to scientific review by a specialised and independent ad hoc committee. It is anticipated that applications will be received, reviewed and approved for funding by March 2024.

Prior to any final decision on funding, and in order to offer applicants the opportunity to benefit from the review process, EFSD reserves the right to request revision to applications in accordance with the recommendations of the Review Committee.

Research Grant Applications

Applications for research grants may be subjected to pre-review (or triage) procedures. In this event, any application rejected at pre-review will not be subject to a complete scientific review and no feedback report will be provided to the applicant.

The deadline for receipt of research grant applications for funding this year is 1 December 2023.

All budgets are to be prepared in Euro. For countries in which the Euro is not the common currency, the exchange rate (between the Euro and the local currency in the country where the work is to be performed) used for calculating the Euro budget must be mentioned under “Budget Justification”.

Application forms may be downloaded here:

Application Form

All applications must be prepared on the official forms and completed in strict accordance with the detailed instructions to be found on these forms. Applications which do not comply with the instructions given in the application form will not be considered for review.

Please send your application as one complete PDF email attachment to foundation@easd.org by 12:00 midday (CET) on the deadline date 1 December 2023.

Review Considerations

Completed applications will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria stated below for scientific/technical merit by an appropriate and independent scientific committee.

Review criteria are as follows:

• Significance: Does the study address an important problem in keeping with the goals and focus areas of this Programme? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced? What will be the effect of the proposed studies on the concepts or methods that drive this field?
• Approach: Are the conceptual framework, design, methods and analyses adequately developed, well integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Are they supported by preliminary data? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics?
• Innovation: Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies?
• Investigator: Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and other researchers, if any?
• Environment: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed studies take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support?
• Budget and feasibility: Is the requested budget appropriate for the proposed study? Is the requested duration suitable for completion of the project?
• Contribution towards a larger research project: Is the work described in the application intended as part of a larger project? If so, is there any overlap? Is there a clear explanation how the new work will contribute towards the overall success of that larger project? Can financial feasibility be assessed (was a clear description given of the total costs of the whole project, the funding from other sources and the amount and purpose of the requested EFSD funding)?

Reporting Requirements and Approval of Funding

All funded applications will receive initial funding instalment upon confirmation of the approval of the Review Committee as appropriate. For one-year project 90% of the funding will be provided at the start of the programme while the remaining 10% will be paid upon submission of final scientific and financial report. For those projects where funding is distributed over a period of more than one year, the initial instalment will be 50%. A second 40% instalment will be paid upon submission of an interim progress report with the final 10% paid upon submission of the final scientific and financial report. All reports will be subject to assessment prior to the release of any further funds.

Investigators must provide EFSD with copies of papers accepted for publication, and must acknowledge the support of the Programme in all written material by use of the phrase: "funded through an EFSD research grant supported by MSD".

Competitive Renewal

Applications for a grant renewal will be accepted on a competitive basis, with the same review process as described in this Announcement. Such applications will therefore be considered in the same fashion as all other new applications received for review and without any special priority.

Schedule

Announcement: August 2023

Application Deadline: 1 December 2023

Anticipated Award Date: March 2024

Enquiries

Enquiries should be directed to foundation@easd.org.