[ Novartis Forschungsstiftung – FreeNovation | Research funding on biomedical research ]

The Novartis Research Foundation (Novartis Forschungstiftung) has just launched the 2020 FreeNovation thematic call for biomedical research projects. Up to 15 projects will be supported with maximum CHF 180’000 for 18 months.

The fields accepted for the 2020 call are:

• Beyond CRISPR: tools and therapeutics
• Unusual formats of therapeutics: vectors, conjugates, novel scaffolds
• Genetic basis and molecular mechanisms of acquiring allergies

• Relate to biomedical research with the ultimate aim to provide healthcare solutions for patients.
• Be unconventional and radical, with the potential to open up novel research directions and aiming beyond incremental innovation and discovery.
• Be particularly original and hard to fund by conventional funding programs due to the “unorthodox” character of the idea or absence of a long-standing academic reputation held by the researchers.
• NOT include commercial activities nor be influenced by commercial interests.

• PhD or equivalent qualification
• Employed at a reputable healthcare or healthcare-related organization, incl. university, university hospital or university of applied science in Switzerland throughout the duration of the grant.
• Max. 2 applicants → co-applicants may together submit a single proposal. Alternatively, they can submit two proposals, but tag them as connected (although connected proposals will be reviewed separately, the benefits of the collaboration will be factored into the evaluation).

• Please fill out the Institutional Support Letter template available in the EPFL Toolkit, have it signed by the Dean and, if applicable, by the Director of the Institute and the Head of Unit, and send it to [email protected] by 10 April 2020 for the institutional signature.
• Call Deadline: 18 April 2020 -> submit your proposal by 23:59 CET via FreeNovation online application portal.