Funding Cycles XXI and XXII – Letters of Intent Submission in October 2008 and April 2009

The Roche Organ Transplantation Research Foundation (ROTRF) is very pleased to announce that 9 grants have been awarded for the 10th Anniversary Clinical Transplantation Research Grant Award Competition (Cycle XXI) and in Cycle XXII, 4 grants have been awarded for conventional and 5 for clinical research applications. In Cycle XXI, 1.97 million Swiss francs were allocated to the 9 clinical research projects*, whereas in Cycle XXII, 1.98 million Swiss francs were distributed to the 9 clinical and conventional projects*.

The ROTRF received 124 Letters of Intent for the 10th Anniversary Clinical Transplantation Research Grant Award Competition up to the submission deadline (1 October 2008) from scientists around the world. Of the applications, 41.9% were received from Europe, the major countries being Germany (8.9%), Italy (8.1%), and France and The Netherlands (4.0% each). Belgium, Switzerland and the UK accounted each for 3.2% of the applications submitted. The majority of the applications was received from North America (48.4%): United States (38.7%) and Canada (9.7%). Australia/New Zealand (3.2%), Asia (3.2%), South America (1.6%) and Africa (1.6%) accounted for the remaining 9.6% of the applications. Based on the reviews of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), the Board of Trustees invited 27 applicants to prepare Full Paper Applications. After a thorough review of the 23 received applications, grants were awarded to 9 clinical research projects.

In Cycle XXII, 122 Letters of Intent were received up to the submission deadline (1 April 2009). Applications from Europe accounted for 38.5% and those from North America for 57.4% of all applications received. The European submissions were received mainly from Switzerland (8.2%). Italy, The Netherlands and UK accounted each for 4.9%, and France and Germany each for 4.1% of the total applications. Applications from the USA and Canada accounted for 50.8% and 6.6% of applications, respectively. The remaining applications were received from Asia (2.5%) and South America (1.6%). Following review by the SAC, the Board of Trustees invited 24 applicants to prepare Full Paper Applications and after reviewing the 20 received applications, grants were awarded to 9 research projects, including 4 conventional and 5 clinical projects.

The research funded in these two cycles will focus on clinical and scientific aspects of organ transplantation, such as molecular markers of graft rejection, molecular diagnostic strategies for donor selection, innate immunity, induction of tolerance, effects of viral infections on graft rejection and development of preclinical protocols for induction of mixed chimerism. Abstracts of the projects are available on the ROTRF homepage.



* At the time of updating this homepage two grant awards were still pending in each Cycle due to administrative reasons and are not listed in the grant award overview.