German pharma company Boehringer Ingelheim has teamed up with the European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD) to offer more than €2.5m in funding for research projects over the next three years.
The fund is accepting applications until April 1 and is offering grants of up to €100,000 for basic research projects lasting up to two years, and a ceiling of €400,000 over three years for clinical research projects.
The announcement renews a funding and research collaboration between Boehringer and the EFSD which initially got underway in 2011.
The programme will focus on two areas of diabetes research, namely the regulations of secretion and/or function of non-insulin peptides from the endocrine pancreas – which will be open to basic research applicants – and mechanisms relating renal dysfunction to cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes which will cover clinical and translational research projects.
“Diabetes affects more than 371 million people worldwide and diabetes remains undiagnosed in up to 50 per cent of cases,” said Professor Klaus Dugi, Boehringer’s corporate senior vice president for medicine.
“We are delighted to partner with the EFSD on this initiative and hope the grant encourages and supports new research in the field of diabetes,” he added.
Applications are open to single non-profit institutions or groups of institutions in Europe and associated countries, and the applications will be subject to a scientific review by a specialised and independent committee.
EFSD also has funds available for other pharma company-sponsored projects, including programmes run alongside Novo Nordisk, Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen, Eli Lilly and Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), with deadlines for applications due from February 1 onwards.