Call for Proposals on bilateral Polish-German research projects in Neuroscience

Announcement of the Ministry of Education and Science (MEiN), Poland and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany [July 05, 2006 - deadline: September 15, 2006]

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1. Funding purpose and legal framework

1.1 Funding purpose

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Polish Ministry of Education and Science (MEiN) intend to continue their support of bi-national scientific cooperation in the field of medically-oriented neuroscience. Supplementing the call for proposals of 30 April 2002, additional projects on important research topics in this area are to be funded.

The objective of the bilateral programme is to advance scientific progress by using the synergy of a collaborative approach to research. Research will be focused on diseases of major importance for both nations. Thus, the programme is also to contribute to health care improvement. In addition, scientific cooperation is to strengthen the relations between Poland and Germany.

1.2 Legal framework

For the German partners to be funded, the BMBF terms and conditions for grant applications on expenditure basis and the administrative provisions concerning section 44 of the Federal Budget Code (BHO) have to be applied. For the Polish partners to be funded, the MEiN-regulations for financing special research projects will be applied - Regulation of the Minister of Science and Information Society Technologies of 4 August 2005 on criteria and procedures for allocation and accounting of finance resources for scientific research (Dz.U. No 161, item 1359).

Applicants have no legal claim to a grant. The respective grant-awarding agency will decide freely after due assessment of the circumstances within the framework of the budget funds available.

2. Object of funding

Under this programme, funding will be provided for projects of clinical relevance which can be expected to make a significant contribution to neuroscience with potential application to human diseases.

Funding can be awarded for projects conducting research on the development of the nervous system, degeneration, regeneration and neuroprotection. The studies are to be aimed at a better understanding of the mechanisms of neural diseases and mental disorders. This includes the development of therapeutic strategies and rehabilitation procedures for these diseases.

For bilateral cooperation, interdisciplinary teams from both countries are to be established involving two or more research groups from university hospitals, research groups, research institutes or research departments in the area of neuroscience.

Cooperation is expected to produce synergy. The need for cooperation on a specific project and the added value of cooperation must therefore be stressed with a view to enhancing the cohesion of research efforts in Poland and Germany. Projects without an obvious need for collaboration cannot be considered for funding.

3. Recipients of funding

Grants can be awarded to applicants from universities, university hospitals and research institutions with experience in the relevant field.
German research institutions which receive joint basic funding from the Federal Government and the Länder can only be awarded project funding to cover their additional expenditure under certain conditions.

4. Prerequisites for funding

The bilateral projects are expected to contribute substantially to scientific progress in the neurosciences.

- The applicants must have gained relevant previous experience and be ready for true interdisciplinary cooperation. A joint application by the German and Polish partners is required.
- The projects must be original and innovative. The feasibility of the projects shall be guaranteed by the partners chosen.
- The projects shall have clinical relevance and, if possible, contribute to clinical application. The projects shall relate to important health problems.
- The projects shall apply state-of-the-art methods and advanced technologies in clinical research.
- The projects shall be tackled in an interdisciplinary approach. Scientists with different backgrounds in basic research or clinical research (multidisciplinary teams) are to be involved in the collaboration. Preference will be given to projects with active participation of a clinical partner.
- The involvement of young scientists in the cooperation is required.
- In case of funding, partners in a project have to conclude a cooperation contract.
- If the conduction of clinical (pilot) trials is intended, international standards have to be observed  (http://www.ich.org, http://www.consort-statement.org).
- In their own interest, applicants should familiarize themselves with the EU's Research Framework Programme in the context of the planned project. They should check whether the planned project includes specific European components which make it eligible for exclusive EU funding. Applicants should furthermore examine whether an additional application for funding can be submitted to the EU in the context of the planned project. Applicants should briefly state the results of such an examination in their application.

5. Type, scope and rates of funding

On the German side, project funding may be awarded in the form of non-repayable grants.
The basis for calculating the grants for universities, research and science institutions and similar establishments is the project-related expenditure eligible for funding (grants to Helmholtz centres and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft – FhG - will be calculated on the basis of the project-related costs eligible for funding); up to 100 per cent of this expenditure/costs can be funded in individual cases.
Grants can be awarded to cover the following types of expenditure: personnel, consumables, travel and – in special cases – equipment amounting to more than 400 euro. For clinical trials study-specific expenditure can be requested (e.g. case payment, patient insurance, quality control measures, study-specific fees).

On the Polish side, grants can be awarded up to 100 per cent of project-related expenditure. The following costs can be covered: personnel, consumables, travel and equipment (if required for the execution of the project).

Depending on the financial requirements of each project, an annual amount of up to 150,000 euro (maximum) can be granted to the German partner and 350,000 zloty to the Polish partner. BMBF and MEiN intend to fund about 10 projects. Funding will be provided for a maximum period of three years.

6. Other terms and conditions for awarding funds

On the German side, the General Auxiliary Conditions for Grants for the Promotion of Projects (ANBest-P) and the Special Auxiliary Terms and Conditions for Funds Provided by the BMBF for the Promotion of Projects on an Expenditure Basis (BNBest-BMBF 98) will be part of the notification of award for grants on an expenditure basis. Auxiliary Terms and Conditions for Funds Provided by the BMBF to Commercial Companies for Research and Development Projects on a Cost Basis (NKBF 98) will be part of the notification of award for grants on a cost basis.

7. Procedure

7.1. Request for documents

It is strongly recommended to contact one of the following persons before submitting the proposals:

In Germany:  
PD Dr. Marlies Dorlöchter   
Projektträger im DLR für das BMBF
- Gesundheitsforschung -
Heinrich-Konen-Straße 1
53227 Bonn
Tel.: 0049-228-3821-249 (-210)
Fax: 0049-228-3821-257
E-Mail: marlies.dorloechter@DLR.de
www.pt-dlr.de 

In Poland:
Ewa Michna
Ministerstwo Edukacji i Nauki
Departament Badań Naukowych
ul. Wspólna 1/3
00-529 Warszawa
Tel.: 0048 22 52 92 448
E-Mail: ewa.michna@mein.gov.pl

7.2 Submission of grant applications

Joint proposals (maximum 30 pages) should be written in English and in the respective native language and submitted in 10 copies in Germany and in 4 copies in Poland, by post to the contact persons given in 7.1. Applications in the Polish language should be written according to enclosure no. 16 to the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Information Society Technologies of 4 August 2005 on criteria and procedures for allocation and accounting of financial resources from national budget for scientific research (Dz.U. No 161, item 1359).

The deadline for submission is September 15, 2006.

The deadline for submission is not a cut-off date. However, it may prove impossible to consider project outlines which are received after that date.

Among other things, the German-Polish research proposals should contain:
- the names and addresses of all the project partners;
- the state-of-the-art of the respective field of research;
- the working programme including the objectives, the rationale, the methods to be used and the contributions to be made by each partner;
- the expected contribution and the relevance to clinical application;
- CVs of the German and Polish principal investigators including lists of original publications in the past 5 years (articles and reviews only) and current grants, including in particular those of the European Union;
- a description of the added value of the cooperation based on the special experience and contributions of the German and Polish partners; a brief description of previous and ongoing collaborations between the partners (if applicable); the projects are to contribute to the establishment and/or consolidation of bi-national cooperation;
- a description of the research groups involved in the project including technicians (table with names, academic degrees, institutions/departments, expected contributions to the project); clinicians should be marked;
- a description of the involvement of young scientists in the cooperation;
- estimated breakdown of expenditure/costs for the German and Polish partners.
If funds are requested for a clinical (pilot) trial, the trial design has to be described. A Guideline for clinical trials is available here.   
Clinical trials conducted in Poland have to meet the requirements determined in the Act of 6 September 2001 on  Pharmaceutical Law (Dz.U. No 126, item 1381, with the following amendments).

Research teams from other European countries may join the Polish-German projects on the basis of a contract covering the costs of their research from their own resources. The project proposals of further partners have to be part of the joint proposals submitted to the MEiN and the BMBF.

7.3 Selection and decision-making procedure

The joint project proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the following procedure, which involves different steps in both countries.

In a first step, formal applications in the Polish language will be reviewed according to the provisions of the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Information Society Technologies of 4 August 2005 on criteria and procedures for allocation and accounting of financial resources from national budget for scientific research (Dz.U. No 161, item 1359).

In a second step, a peer review process by an independent joint German-Polish Scientific Review Panel comprising researchers from clinical and basic neuroscience will take place.  The Review Panel will propose a ranking list of projects to be funded The final funding decision will be made on the basis of this ranking list. The evaluation criteria are listed in section no. 4 ("Prerequisites for funding"). The applicants will be informed about the results of the evaluation in writing.

The Polish partners of collaborative projects will receive their funds from the MEiN, the German partners from the BMBF. In a third step, after positive assessment in the peer review, the formal requirements of each Ministry have to be fulfilled.

The German partners will be invited to submit formal applications. Applicants are advised to contact the project management organization PT-DLR Gesundheitsforschung before submitting an application. Further information and advice is available from the PT-DLR. A decision on the formal application will be taken after final evaluation.
Unless deviation is allowed under these funding regulations, the approval, payment and accounting for the funds as well as proof and examination of their proper use and, if necessary, the revocation of the award and the reclaiming of the funds awarded are governed by the administrative provisions pertaining to section 44 of the Federal Budget Code (BHO) and sections 48 to 49a of the Administrative Procedure Act (VwVfG). 
For Polish applicants, payment and accounting for the funds as well as proof and examination of their proper use and, if necessary, the revocation of the award and the reclaiming of the funds awarded are regulated in Regulation of the Minister of Science and Information Society Technologies of 4 August 2005 on criteria and procedures for allocation and accounting of finance resources for scientific research (Dz.U. No 161, item 1359).
Evaluation: The Polish and German researchers will submit a yearly report to MEiN and BMBF respectively. In this report the results of both research partners have to be described. After about two years, the researchers will submit a joint report and present their results at a status seminar. The Polish-German review panel will evaluate the results on the basis of the joint report and the presented data at the status seminar. Invitation of European scientists in the respective field(s) to the status seminar(s) is possible.

8. Entry into force

These funding regulations will enter into force on the date of publication.

Berlin, 2006                                                                   Warsaw, 2006
Federal Ministry of Education and Research                         Ministry of Education and Science
Dr. Gabriele Hausdorf                                                       Prof. Krzysztof Jan Kurzydłowski