An overview of the projects funded from the funding line “Translational Research” can be found here.
In Germany, a wide gap exists between successful fundamental medical scientific research and its near-term, direct application in routine clinical practice for the benefit of patients. This is due, among other factors, to tightly earmarked funding resources for collecting the necessary preclinical data and for initial clinical trials. For example, in the case of therapeutics whose development to bring them to market requires a substantial investment, financially sound investors often show an interest in financing further product development with risk capital only after the successful completion of clinical phase 1 and 2 trials.
Within the scope of its Translational Research funding line, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) wants to advance and actively support research projects via ForTra gGmbH für Forschungstransfer der Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (ForTra), a non-profit subsidiary of the EKFS foundation. The intent is to bring promising developments to the application stage as quickly as possible to help the sick or to prevent diseases. The Translational Research funding line is open to all patient-side applications, independent of market size.
Funding Programme
ForTra supports innovative projects with high translational potential within the framework of the EKFS Translational Research funding line: projects for which the respective application potential bearing relevance for patients is clearly defined and for which the first convincing research findings have already been presented. This occurs, for instance, through the financing of key experiments or studies required for validation of the medical approach or medical product. In addition, projects being funded within the scope of the Translational Research funding line have the possibility to receive close mentoring and support by experts during project development and the transfer of technology and knowledge into application.
An overarching goal for ForTra is to enable clinical studies and trials for new, innovative therapies.
Eligible for application includes examples such as
- payment for external research services, such as toxicity studies, large animal models, etc.
- financing of further validation studies in cohorts for a new diagnostic
- initial funding of a first clinical trial (e.g. GMP production costs, “first-in-human” study
As most application-oriented projects are at different stages of development and very different measures are necessary to advance them, projects approved within the scope of the Translational Research funding line are eligible to be additionally supported via individually adapted measures for funding, e.g.:
- financing of advisory consultation, e.g. by means of a patent attorney or regarding regulatory issues (also toward preparing and accompanying a consultation with a regulatory authority [PEI, Paul Ehrlich Institute, or BfArM, the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices])
- financing of costs to patent promising inventions (in exceptional cases, in the event that the research facility is verifiably unable to)
- funding of costs for professional advisory consulting regarding project development and/or the technology and knowledge transfer of the corresponding technology or innovation by an external consultant approved by ForTra
The subsequent further financing of a translational project funded by ForTra at an advanced stage, for example by an industrial partner, is definitely desired. Ruled out is the direct or indirect (co-) financing of development work on the part of a commercial partner who, for example, holds claims to property rights to the product to be developed, so that at the end of funding by ForTra no FTO (freedom-to-operate) for a future commercial exploitation exists for the project manager’s research facility.
For ForTra, the aim is to use the measures described to enable supported projects to conduct a clinical trial in the near future.
The main applicants are academic scientists. After establishing prior contact, they may send an outline of their project to ForTra at any time. The recipient of funding resources is the non-profit research facility in Germany where the applicants are employed. No funding agreements may be concluded with readily established business firms.
The currently valid model funding contract for the Translational Research funding line which ForTra gGmbH concludes with the recipient of funding resources for project funding can be downloaded further below for information purposes.
Application submission
Electronic application submission via email addressed to antrag@fortra-forschungstransfer.de is possible at any time without any special format template. The following is required:
- the application itself
- the filled-out Assessment Form for the Translational Research (“Translatorik”) funding line, as well as
- the applicant’s signed and scanned Declaration of Consent to the storage of data
The latter two documents are available below for downloading.
A number of details regarding application submission can also be found among the answers to the “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)”. It is mandatory to make contact with Prof. Dr. Martin Zörnig by telephone prior to application submission in order to clarify the project’s fundamental eligibility for funding along with the particulars involved for application submission on the basis of a project outline, which ought to include specific information.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Application submission is possible at any time. There are currently no time limits or deadlines. Processing commences directly following receipt of the application.
Calls for proposals on specific topics with fixed submission dead lines will be communicated separately.
In addition to the actual application, applicants must attach and include the completed ForTra “Assessment Form” for the Translational Research funding line along with the applicant’s signed and scanned Declaration of Consent to the storage of data.
Both documents can be downloaded from the EKFS homepage in the section ForTra / Translatorik (Translational Research).
The official funder of projects is ForTra gGmbH für Forschungstransfer der Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (ForTra). As a non-profit limited-liability company and subsidiary of the foundation, ForTra concludes the agreements with the respective employers of the project´s principal investigator(s). In other words, the recipients of funding resources are the academic research facilities (hospitals, research institutes, etc.) or other non-profit scientific institutions.
There is no template for applications, which ought to include the following parts:
- A summary of the project, including indication of the funding sum being applied for, the term of the project and the designated object of funding
- An overview regarding the field that non-experts interested in science are able to understand
- Own preliminary work together with the relevant original data (including: What is the current status of own project-relevant patent families? Exactly how far has the project advanced at the time of application submission?)
- A precise indication regarding the amount of funding resources being applied for along with a detailed description of what they are supposed to be utilized for (work program)
- A detailed depiction of how the project is supposed to be furthered after the funding from ForTra ends: Who is able to or will make funding resources available following the financial support from ForTra? Do investors exist who intend to invest money in the project upon achievement of certain “milestones” once the funding agreement has expired?
A maximum sum for funding has not been established. The average funding sum currently amounts to circa EUR 450,000. The co-financing of projects together with another funding body is equally possible. ForTra only covers project costs that applicants are unable to finance via other organizations and/or investors.
The potential duration of projects that can be applied for is flexible. Many projects are funded for 2 or 3 years, but depending on the respective work program both shorter and longer durations are possible.
On average it takes roughly 3 months from the day ForTra receives the completed application until the final funding decision.
At the present time, the non-profit ForTra GmbH für Forschungstransfer der EKFS does not conclude any funding agreements with readily existing firms/spin-offs, only with academic research facilities (hospitals, research institutes, etc.) or other non-profit scientific institutions (i.e. with the employer of the project leaders).
The current model contract (including the emplyee agreement) can be downloaded from the Download section. Before submitting the application, applicants should clarify with their legal department whether the model funding contract, which is non-negotiable, is acceptable to the applicants’ research institution and potential recipient of funding resources in the existing form.