Clinical research programme

Call for research proposals, 2015

DEBRA International is now inviting expressions-of-interest for funding support of clinical research and clinical trials targeting therapy development and symptom-relief for epidermolysis bullosa (EB). There is a two-stage application process, with a submission deadline for stage 1 proposals (expressions of interest) by 1 April 2015.

Proposals are invited which make a breakthrough in developing therapies that address the underlying causes or the life-limiting consequences of EB (e.g. EB-related squamous cell carcinoma), or in developing symptom-relief treatments that address clinical consequences of EB that impact upon quality of life.

Scope and eligibility

Funding criteria

Application process

Scope and eligibility

The scope of eligible projects includes:

Clinical studies or clinical trials of therapies that address:
- the underlying causes of EB, or
- life-limiting consequences of EB (e.g. EB-related squamous cell carcinoma), or
- symptom-relief treatments that address clinical consequences of EB that impact upon quality of life (e.g. itch, pain, scarring, contractures).
Late-preclinical research addressing key barriers to therapy implementation.

The proposal must target imminent development of clinical treatments through clinical studies, or clinical trials.

Late-preclinical research addressing key barriers to therapy implementation is also welcome, where proof-of-concept of the proposed therapeutic route already exists, and clinical trials of a therapy would otherwise be feasible. (Earlier-stage preclinical or basic research, are not eligible for support, nor are small-scale late-preclinical projects: such research should, instead, be submitted to DEBRA'sResearch project grant scheme)

Funding criteria

All proposals are subject to the same criteria of innovation, quality and feasibility of research, and ultimate patient benefit.

Duration

The proposed project should be for a period of up to 3 years (exceptionally, funding may be awarded for up to 5 years, where justified).

Budget

There is no upper limit to the proposed total budget, but DEBRA will only provide a maximum of €500.000 to any one project.
Proposals seeking larger-scale funding will be expected to source additional (matched) funding.

Co-funding

DEBRA funding (to a maximum of €500K) may be used to co-fund or match-fund grants from other funding bodies (e.g. from host institution, other charity or government bodies, or industry).
The same criteria for deadlines, process of evaluation, award of funding, and progress reporting will apply in all cases.

Collaboration

Proposals should demonstrate the clinical and research expertise necessary for successful completion of the project: collaboration between research and clinical groups with complementary expertise is encouraged.
The application may be from a single research or clinical group, or a consortium: international collaboration is welcomed.
Consortia including collaboration with healthcare providers, healthcare or biopharma industry are welcome.

Research institution / Applicant’s eligibility

Lead applicants must be academic or clinical researchers employed in tenured positions.
Principle investigators from collaborating research groups must be similarly tenured.
While applications from co-applicants with equal Principle Investigator status are welcome, the application must be submitted by a single lead applicant with whom DEBRA will correspond.
Any grant offer eventually made will be issued to a single institution, which is responsible for managing any subcontracting to collaborating institutions.
Applications are welcome from all countries.

Application process

There is a two-stage process of application:

Stage 1

The Stage 1 form to register an Expression of Interest should be submitted by 1 April 2015
If you are invited by DEBRA International to submit a Stage 2 Full Application, further information and an application form will be sent to you by 1 June 2015.

Stage 2

The submission deadline for full applications is 15 September 2015.
It is anticipated that funding decisions will be made by end-December 2015.

All full applications will be subject to peer-review mediated by an Expert Panel convened for the purpose by DEBRA International: the final funding decision will be at the discretion of DEBRA International.