EP PerMed Joint Transnational Call for Proposals (2024)

Scope of the Call

The core of each application must be the identification or validation of a target for personalised medicine approaches in combination with companion biomarker research. In addition, the consortia can address accompanying research if this is necessary for the identification or validation of the target and if appropriate to the development status of the project. EP PerMed strongly encourages the active involvement of end-users in the proposed research projects.

Depending on the development phase of the research, projects can focus on the following stages (specific funding regulations might apply, see Annex 2 of the Call Text as well as Annex 2 of the “Guidelines for Applicants” document):

• Stage 1: Identification of novel targets for the development of a concrete and feasible PM approach, based on a clearly circumscribed biological/clinical hypothesis, in combination with companion biomarker research. Applicants are advised to use existing clinical data as a basis for target identification.
• Stage 2: Development or validation of already known but not yet established targets for a PM approach, in combination with accompanying biomarker research. This includes target validation in vitro and in animal models (proof-of-principle studies), early pharmacological and toxicity tests and, if feasible, exploratory clinical studies to demonstrate clinical applicability (proof-of-concept studies).

Exclusion: Research focussing only on new biomarker discovery. Projects submitted to the JTC2024 focussing on the identification of new biomarkers as the sole purpose of the research are out of the scope.

Stages are not mutually exclusive. They define the overall scope of the JTC2024 to which all proposals must comply.

Research projects in all disease areas are encouraged. Consortia are required to start from a relevant clinical (unmet) need and to include activities that support a comprehensive and efficient uptake of the developed PM approach in clinical practice, with the aim that “Today’s research is tomorrow’s healthcare”.

Please refer to the Call Text of the JTC2024 for further information and definitions.

General (Eligibility) Conditions for Application

Joint research proposals may be submitted by applicants belonging to an entity according to the following categories (subject to regional/national funding regulations; see “Guidelines for Applicants”):

• Academia (research teams working in universities, other higher education institutions) or research institutes;
• Clinical/public health sector (research teams working in hospitals/public health and/or other healthcare settings and health organisations). Participation of clinicians (e.g. medical doctors, nurses) in the research teams is encouraged;
• Private for-profit (industry) partners, e.g. SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) and private non-profit partners, e.g. foundations, associations or non-governmental organisations.

Only transnational projects will be funded. Each consortium must involve at least three partners from three different EU Member States or Associated Countries whose funding organisations participate in the call. Each of these partners must be eligible and request funding from the respective funding organisation. All three legal entities must be independent of each other. The project coordinator must be eligible to be funded by his/her regional/national participating funding organisation.

Max. 2 project partners per consortium can request funding from the same funding organisation. For some funding organisations, the maximum number of eligible partners who can be funded in one project is limited to one (see also “Guidelines for Applicants” for individual funding rules).

Pre-proposal stage: Maximum number of partners is 6 (no more than 2 partners from the same country); Maximum number of partners can be 7 if the consortium includes a 3rd partner of the same country (condition: funding requested from at least 2 different funders of the respective country; applies to only one country per consortium).

Widening concept: Consortia are allowed to include in the full-proposal phase an additional project partner that is eligible to receive funding from a funding organisation that is underrepresented in the second stage of the call and that agrees to participate in the widening option (a list of underrepresented regions/countries will be provided to coordinators invited to submit full-proposals).

No more than one partner with their own funding is allowed in the consortia with at least three partners eligible for funding (more indications in the Call Text: “B. Funding recipients”, section 7).

Exception: To facilitate the integration of patient organisations in consortia, they can be added to a consortium as additional partners at the pre-proposal stage or full-proposal stage. Patient organisations can be added as additional partner(s) either on own funds or by applying for funding, if eligible, from the respective funding organisations. The consortia must follow all of the above-mentioned rules regarding the consortia composition without counting the patient organisations, except for the following rule: within one consortium, no more than 2 partners can request funding from the same funding organisation, including patient organisations. For some funding organisations, the maximum number of eligible partners who can be funded in one project is one.

Funding will be awarded for a maximum of three years.