Research Grants

Funding and payment

ESCMID’s research grants offer up to 20K EUR per project. The grant can be used for the entirety or specific aspects of your project. Upon the signing of the grant agreement, 50% of the allocated funds are issued to the grantee’s institution, with the remaining 50% released upon the submission and approval of the final reports (refer to reporting below for more details). ESCMID also reserves up to 50K EUR each for two exceptional projects. Recognised by our esteemed reviewers for their outstanding potential, selected projects have the possibility to receive this additional funding to propel their topics further.

Project criteria

Your research project can include laboratory investigations, clinical studies, experimental animal studies, or a combination of approaches. In 2024, the research grant programme will welcome projects focused on bacterial infections and diseases (including diagnostics, pathogenesis, susceptibility and resistance, stewardship, and vaccines. Projects usually last from 12-24 months, starting from the year the grant is received. Should your project align with the specified criteria, it will undergo a rigorous peer review process, with the most promising projects being selected through a meticulous ranking of applications and research proposals. Please note that projects that do not align with the established criteria will be disqualified without a peer review. 

Eligibility criteria

Qualify for our research grant opportunities by meeting the following criteria:

• Serve as the principal investigator for the proposed research project
• Hold a valid ESCMID Young Scientist Membership (YSM) or ESCMID low- or middle-income country (LMIC) membership*
• Have a medical degree (MD, MBBS, PharmD, or equivalent), a PhD, or be actively enrolled in a PhD programme

Applicants who have received any ESCMID Research Grant (Individual, Study Group or SG Collaboration) may only apply for a subsequent grant in the year after official completion of the first project. Additionally, you cannot be awarded more than one ESCMID Research Grant (Individual, Study Group or SG Collaboration) in a single year or be listed as principal investigator in more than one concurrent project. Please be aware that members of the ESCMID Executive Committee (EC) are not eligible to apply for research grants or provide support letters for applications. *We invite ESCMID LMIC members to apply if they are still in training or completing their training (PhD no more than eight years post-graduation, MD or MD/PhD no more than five years from completion of clinical training or speciality). If this opportunity sparks your interest, we encourage you to contact ESCMID Office and submit documents proving your status as early as possible, no later than two weeks before the application deadline.

What you need to apply

If you meet the above criteria, we welcome you to apply. To ensure a seamless and efficient application process, all documentation must be submitted electronically via our online application form. As you prepare to submit, please have the following documents readily available.

A single PDF document (labelled “YourSurname”.pdf; in Calibri font, size 11, with 2 cm margins, max. 4MB) including the following key elements:

• Abstract of your research project (max. 750 words; with 3-5 keywords that best characterise your project). Please also include the abstract and keywords separately in the online form (in addition to including them in the PDF document) to help facilitate reviewer selection.
• Introduction/Background (max. 500 words)
• Objectives (max. 300 words)
• Purpose and potential impact of your project (max. 700 words)
• Research plan (max. 2,000 words) including design, material and methods, data analysis, project timeline, co-investigators and their contribution to the project; (references/bibliography are not included in word limit)
• Budget including personnel, equipment, consumables (max. 1,500 words; please use tables wherever possible)
• Description of your present research (max. 750 words)
• Your CV (max. 1,500 words) demonstrating how your skills align with the project's requirements. Alternatively, support letters must confirm that adequate mentoring is available to ensure the project’s success. We advise discussing with your supporters to determine the most suitable strategy for your situation.
• Your publication list, highlighting your most relevant publications from the past five years to help reviewers assess your experience and competencies in relation to the project you are submitting (max. of 10)

Two signed letters of support (labelled “YourSurname”_support1.pdf and “YourSurname”_support2.pdf; max. 4MB each).

• The supporters you select to participate in this research journey know you professionally and can judge your work. They may include an advisor of yours during training, or any other previous collaboration partners, but cannot be your current direct supervisor and/or anyone from your same department.
• Projects missing signed letters of support will not be accepted

Potential reviewers: As part of the application process, at least two suitable reviewers should be suggested. Conditions for reviewers include not being directly involved in the project proposal, not having the same affiliation as you, and if possible, not from the same country either. Should there be any individual you prefer not to have as a reviewer, kindly inform us accordingly.

A colour photograph (labelled “YourSurname_Firstname”.tiff, .eps or .jpg; max. 4MB), measuring at least 4 x 6 cm with a 300 dpi resolution, suitable for publication.

You can ensure a smooth submission process by first verifying you have the correct documents and file types before upload. After the deadline, changes will unfortunately be impossible, so we strongly recommend ensuring all details are correct before submission.

Writing your application

For full transparency about the review process, you will find the instructions and rating criteria used to assess your application here. Here are some helpful guidance for writing your research grant application:

• Write as concisely as possible, you do not need to reach the maximum word counts
• Use bullet points to facilitate review
• If English is not your first language, consider having your text proofread before submission
• Clearly specify where funding will be used if your project is selected for a grant, especially if your project combines different funding sources (please note that omission will lead to rejection)

Reporting

Within six months following the completion of your project, you must submit your financial and scientific reports. We will be happy to provide you with templates and thorough guidelines to support your report writing. Your financial report should illustrate a full breakdown of how the provided funds were used, accompanied by the signature of your head of department. Your scientific report should capture your research journey in a maximum of 1,000 words, covering the key elements listed below:

• A short introduction summarising the current level of knowledge for non-specialists
• Your study hypothesis
• An overview of what was funded by your ESCMID Grant
• A summary of the main findings – potentially including how the data contributed to other projects
• A conclusion on your findings

Should a published scientific article accompany your report, we welcome a concise version of your submission, with references directing to the relevant sections within the article. Please do consider the article should transparently disclose any funding from alternative sources.

Financial report template  Scientific report template

Publication

Grant recipients must acknowledge ESCMID in all scientific publications using the wording “This study/project has been funded by a European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) research grant to (initials of grantee) in (year of grant)”. Grantees should first consider publishing in one of the Society’s official journals Clinical Microbiology and Infection (CMI) or CMI Communications for initial submission of manuscripts, but alternative journals may be considered depending on the scope of the project. We ask grantees to please share with the ESCMID Office any published scientific articles stemming from their grant-funded projects, regardless of whether the project has concluded, even after all reports have been submitted. These articles are a source of pride for our Society and will be continuously showcased on our official website and in our annual ESCMID yearbook. In this way, we will be able to keep celebrating your research accomplishments and contribution to the global advancement of knowledge in the fields of CM and ID.

Funding and payment

With up to 30K EUR offered to cover project costs, ESCMID SG research grants can help you support the entirety or specific elements of your project. Upon signing, ESCMID will assign the designated grant amount. This sum can be used to settle invoices or be transferred directly to your institution for the project's needs.

ESCMID Förderverein Grants for Research in AMR and Emerging Infections

As part of the new ESCMID strategy, the ESCMID Förderverein Grant enhances funding for research projects focusing on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) or Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID). This support benefits both individual researchers and SGs. As part of this initiative, two additional grants are awarded annually. To qualify, projects must address the challenges posed by AMR and/or EID, aligning with the specified theme for the year. Applications are integrated into our standard grant calls, with clear indications provided in the application form.

Project criteria

Your research project can encompass a range of dynamic approaches, including laboratory investigations, clinical studies, experimental animal studies, or a combination of these approaches. As we value collaboration, your research project should be conducted in partnership with at least two separate institutions across two different countries. Designed for a maximum duration of two years, your project should start after the grant agreement is signed. The full support and engagement of all SGs involved is mandatory.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants who have received any ESCMID Research Grant (Individual, Study Group or SG Collaboration) may only apply for a subsequent grant in the year after official completion of the first project. Additionally, you cannot be awarded more than one ESCMID Research Grant (Individual, Study Group or SG Collaboration) in a single year or be listed as principal investigator in more than one concurrent project. Please be aware that members of the ESCMID Executive Committee (EC) are not eligible to apply for research grants or provide support letters for applications. Qualify for our research grant opportunities by meeting the following criteria. Each SG may apply with a maximum of two research projects, as indicated below:

• Either one project as a single SG applicant + one project in collaboration with another SG
• Or two projects, each in collaboration with another SG

Two projects as a single SG cannot be accepted as these grants aim to boost interconnectivity across a wide range of topic areas.

• As the applicant, you should be the principal investigator for the proposed research
• Each SG involved should also fully support the proposal by written approval of their respective study group EC
• To qualify, you should be an ESCMID Full, LMIC or YSM, and a member of at least one of the involved SG

What you need to apply

To ensure ease and efficiency through the application process, all documentation must be submitted electronically via our online application form. As you prepare to submit, please have the following documents readily available:

A single PDF document (labelled “YourSurname_StudyGroup”.pdf; in Calibri font, size 11, with 2 cm margins, max 4MB, up to 6 pages) including the following key elements:

• Summary of your research (max. 1 page including Gantt chart)
• Introduction (scientific background, objectives, rationale, and purpose of your project)
• Research plan (including project design, tasks of the involved teams, material and methods, and data analysis)
• Importance of the project for the supporting SG (max. 1/2  page)
• Teams involved and their roles (at least two teams from two different countries) (max. 1/2 page)
• Budget, including costs for personnel, equipment, and consumables (max. 1/2 page)
• Description of your present research (max. 1/2 page)
• Your CV and list of relevant publications (max. 2 pages)

A support letter (labelled “YourSurname_support”.pdf; max 4MB) signed by the Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer of the SG involved in the proposal. The letter should clearly state the title of your project, your name as the applicant, and your respective SG.

Importantly, where collaboration between two study groups will be occurring, a single scanned file containing two support letters, one for each involved study group, is required.

A colour photograph (labelled “YourSurname_Firstname”.tiff, .eps or .jpg; max 4MB), measuring at least 4 x 6 cm with a 300 dpi resolution, suitable for publication.

You can ensure a smooth submission process by first verifying you have the correct documents and file types before upload. After the deadline, changes will unfortunately be impossible, so we strongly recommend ensuring all details are correct before submission.

Evaluation process

The Scientific Affairs Subcommittee (SAS) and potentially external peer-reviewers will be taking an extensive look at your proposal, focusing on the following key areas:

Scientific and/or technological excellence

• Soundness of concept and quality of objectives
• State-of-the-art progress
• Quality and effectiveness of the scientific/technological methodology and work plan

Quality and efficiency of implementation and budgeting

• Overall appropriateness of collaborating partners
• Overall quality and relevant experience of individual partners
• Overall suitability and justification of the grant resources for the respective project (budget, staff, and equipment)
• Overall timing and scope of work

Parity assessment

• Geographic distribution of partners
• Gender balance

In making the final decision, please note we may consider other concurrently submitted projects as well as previously approved or ongoing projects within the same SG.

Reporting

Within 6 months following the completion of your project, you must submit your two-page report summarising your findings. Here is what the report should include:

• Summary overview: a short introduction for non-specialists recapping the current level of knowledge on the topic and any gaps which prompted the research
• Study hypothesis
• Main findings
• Conclusions from the investigation
• Presentations or publications originating from this project (oral/poster)

If peer-reviewed publications covering the funded project are published, please disregard the above report requirement. Further information, together with the ESCMID templates for the scientific and financial reports, will be provided after signing the grant agreement.

Publication

Grant recipients must acknowledge ESCMID in all scientific publications using the wording “This study/project has been funded by a European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) research grant to (initials of grantee) in (year of grant)”. Grantees should first consider publishing in one of the Society’s official journals Clinical Microbiology and Infection (CMI) or CMI Communications for initial submission of manuscripts, but alternative journals may be considered depending on the scope of the project. We ask grantees to please share with the ESCMID Office any published scientific articles stemming from their grant-funded projects, regardless of whether the project has concluded, even after all reports have been submitted. These articles are a source of pride for our Society and will be continuously showcased on our official website and in our annual ESCMID yearbook. In this way, we will be able to keep celebrating your research accomplishments and contribution to the global advancement of knowledge in the fields of CM and ID.

Funding and payment

The maximum amount granted per project is 180K €. This includes any potential overhead costs charged by your institution. ESCMID’s funding may support the entire project or part of it. After signing the grant agreement, ESCMID will set aside the amount that can either be used to pay invoices or be transferred to your institution for project use.

Project criteria

We believe that collaboration is key, this is why your project must be supported by at least three ESCMID SGs and be carried out in partnership with institutions from at least two different countries. In addition, each project should include members from each participating SG, ensuring diverse expertise and participation. Your research should encompass a broad range of methodologies, including laboratory investigations, clinical studies, and experimental animal research. Designed for a maximum duration of two years, your project should be of high quality, with a focus on innovation and networking. Please note that projects that do not align with the established criteria will be disqualified without a peer review.

Eligibility criteria

Qualify for our research grant opportunities by meeting the following criteria:

• Be the principal investigator for the proposed research, with previous experience in conducting large research projects
• Have full support of the Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer of each SG, with their written approval
• Be an active ESCMID Full, YSM, or LMIC member

Please note that applications are not accepted from companies/start-up research firms. Applicants who have received any ESCMID Research Grant (Individual, Study Group or SG Collaboration) may only apply for a subsequent grant in the year after official completion of the first project. Additionally, you cannot be awarded more than one ESCMID Research Grant (Individual, Study Group or SG Collaboration) in a single year or be listed as principal investigator in more than one concurrent project. Please be aware that members of the ESCMID Executive Committee (EC) are not eligible to apply for research grants or provide support letters for applications.

What you need to apply

To ensure ease and efficiency through the application process, all documentation must be submitted electronically via our online application form. As you prepare to submit, please ensure the following documents readily available:

• Completed application form based on the criteria above (labelled “YourSurname”_application.pdf; max 4MB)
• Your CV as the primary investigator along with the list of your top 10 publications (labelled “YourSurname”_CV.pdf; max 4MB) (max 2 pages)
• Support letters signed by the Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer of the SGs involved in the proposal (electronic signatures allowed). The letters must include the title of the project, your name as the applicant, and the SGs involved (labelled “YourSurname”_support.pdf; max 4MB).
• A colour photograph (labelled “YourSurname_Firstname”.tiff, .eps or .jpg; max 4MB), measuring at least 4 x 6 cm with a 300 dpi resolution, suitable for publication
• Optional: supplemental data or graphical abstracts to support the proposal (PDF format; max 4 MB)

We are happy to specify SGs can be part of multiple submissions.

Evaluation process

The SAS and potentially external peer-reviewers will be taking an extensive look at your proposal, focusing on the following key areas:

Entry criteria

• Your research project should include a translational component
• The roles of each SG should be clearly defined, and responsibilities appropriately split

Scientific factors

• Clarity and objectives of the proposal (10 points)
• Importance and relevance to ID and CM (10 points)
• Adequacy of preliminary work (10 points)
• Suitability of methods for the project (10 points)
• Innovation of the proposal (10 points)
• Sufficiency of research infrastructure for success (10 points)
• Scientific excellence and proposal feasibility (10 points)

Network considerations

• Inclusion and appropriateness of external collaborators (5 points)
• Priority for projects with partners in Low- or Lower-middle-income countries* (5 points). *As defined by the world bank classification

Logistical components

• Clear definition of all funding sources and realistic pricing for consumables, equipment, and personnel (10 points)
• Clear definition of the team and their roles (5 points)
• Realistic and detailed proposed timeline (5 points)

Total possible score: 100 points

We appreciate high-quality applications aligned with the scoring criteria outlined above. Innovation and networking are key, and as such, we look forward to seeing how your projects incorporate these elements. If it is judged that none of the applications for a given year meet our quality standards, ESCMID may decide to withhold funding.
 

Reporting

Within 6 months following the completion of your project, you must submit your two-page report summarising your findings. Here is what the report should include:

• Summary overview: a short introduction for non-specialist readers summarising the current level of knowledge on the topic at hand, and any gaps which prompted the research
• Study hypothesis
• Main findings
• Conclusions from the investigation
• Presentations or publications originating from this project (oral/poster)

If peer-reviewed publications covering the funded project are published, please disregard the above report requirement. Further information, together with the ESCMID templates for the scientific and financial reports, will be provided after signing the grant agreement.

Publication

As a proud provider of financial support for selected research projects, ESCMID kindly requests grant recipients acknowledge the Society in all scientific publications using the wording “This study/project has been funded by a European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) research grant to [initials of grantee] in [year of grant]”. Grantees should first consider publishing in one of the Society’s official journals Clinical Microbiology and Infection (CMI) or CMI Communications for initial submission of manuscripts, but alternative journals may be considered depending on the scope of the project. We ask grantees to please share with the ESCMID Office any published scientific articles stemming from their grant-funded projects, regardless of whether the project has concluded, even after all reports have been submitted. These articles are a source of pride for our Society and will be continuously showcased on our official website and in our annual ESCMID yearbook. In this way, we will be able to keep celebrating your research accomplishments and contribution to the global advancement of knowledge in the fields of CM and ID.