Research and Networking Grant

Purpose and scope

The Research and Networking grants are intended to support research activities and networking among centres at an international level. Funding should be utilised within 2 years once approved.
 
Specifications: 

  • The funding provision is for three projects maximum for 2024.
  • The funding of the project will be handled through the main applicant's Institution. 
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete and sign the agreement letter as well as to provide administrative and financial details of all collaborating centres.
  • The money will be transferred only to accounts of academic or hospital centres, not to private accounts.
  • The networking grant funds cannot be used to pay salaries for more than 10% of the total budget (EUR 5.000,00). However, if necessary, no more than 3 different centres participating in the project can ask for the amount of 10% of the budget for personnel. In other words, no more than 15.000,00 of the 50.000,00 can be used to pay salaries. The funding can be extended over two years but annual reports on activity are required to be made in writing to the relevant AGM of ESPGHAN by the main applicant.
  • In the event of a publication arising from the research carried out as part of this grant, ESPGHAN should be credited with the following sentence: “This work was supported by an ESPGHAN Networking Grant”.
  • It is understood that the funds will be returned if the conditions above are not adhered to.

 
Amount: up to a maximum of EUR 50.000,00  

Eligibility

  • The main applicant should be an ESPGHAN Member
  • Collaboration must involve more than one country
  • Collaboration between at least two ESPGHAN members located in different centres (Non-ESPGHAN members may form part of the proposed network, but only in collaboration with ESPGHAN members)

Application and selection process

Application: 

Complete application must be sent to ESPGHAN office and the following will apply:

  • Completed and signed application form
  • Current CV (maximum of three pages A4) of the main applicant 
  • A description of the networking project (up to three sides of A4) detailing the aims, methods, plan of work, and division of labour within and between the collaborating centres
  • An explanation of the value of the work and its relevance to ESPGHAN
  • A summary of the project in lay terms (one paragraph)
  • A proposed budget including a detailed description of the grant coordination and distribution amongst centres (type of costs, amounts and timeframe)
  • A letter from the main applicant’s finance officer confirming they are willing to administer the project budget
  • A letter from the Institution Director or similar Officer that the facilities required for the work are available in the Institution
  • The names and contact details of two referees who the applicant feels can assess the proposal

 
Application Deadline: Application must be submitted online (see "Apply now" button below) before 31 July each year.

Selection criteria: The nature of the networking between the centres can range from interactive educational events, clinical networks, etc., and should be aimed at promoting clinical excellence and the furtherance of knowledge. We urge members to be innovative, interdisciplinary and inclusive at an international level. Proposals that are relevant to, or arise from, ESPGHAN activities, e.g. validation of guidelines, clinical networks for testing treatment regimens/disease management, etc., will be particularly welcomed.

Each project will be assessed against the following criteria:

  • Collaboration involves more than one country
  • Collaboration between two or more ESPGHAN members in different centres
  • Confirmation that application for funding of this, or a similar, project has not been made to another
  • A budget is submitted by the main applicant that includes details for each collaborating centre
  • Project’s relevance to ESPGHAN
  • Applicant´s scientific merits
  • Applicant´s organisational merits
  • Originality of the project
  • Feasibility of the project

 
Selection process:

The process is coordinated by the Scientific Secretary
The proposal will be evaluated by ESPGHAN Research Committee and a decision will be made by October 30th each year.
 

Reporting and disbursement of the fund

  • The funding of the project will be handled through the main applicant's Institution, such as:

           - The money will be transferred with the following modality: 30% at the beginning, 50% at the end of the first year after providing a report on the progress of the study, and 20% at the end.

           - The funding will be provided by ESPGHAN only on receipt of the respective invoices (Any transfer of funds will require a prior request with a detailed description of the budget items, including how the money will be distributed among centres).

  • The main applicant will provide a final written report to the ESPGHAN Secretary and a final budget statement to the ESPGHAN Treasurer within three months of the completion of the project.
  • The funding can be extended over two years at the discretion of the ESPGHAN Treasurer.

RESEARCH AND NETWORKING GRANT WINNERS

2022

Luisa Mearin  - The risk of coeliac disease in children from high-risk families: follow-up till puberty (and beyond) of the European preventcd cohort 2023-2024

Giuseppe Indolfi  - The European ACUTE Hepatitis/LIVER Failure Study Group

Massimo Martinelli   - Implementation of vaccination and immunization practice in children affect by Inflammatory Bowel Disease: a prospective multiphase investigation (the VIP II study).

2021
 

Ester Donat with 22 Collaborating Centres: IgA deficiency in Celiac Disease.

Tassos Grammatikopoulos with 6 Collaborating Centres: International Multicentre Pediatric Portal Hypertension Registry (IMPPHR).

2020

Matjaz Homan with 7 Collaborating Centres: CO2 vs air insufflation in children undergoing PEG (CO2pegA) - a multicentre double blind RCT

Merit Tabbers with 3 Collaborating Centres: Do we need prophylactic anticoagulation in children receiving home parenteral nutrition? An international prospective multicenter controlled study.

Miguel Saenz de Pipaon with 7 Collaborating Centres: Docosahexanoic and Araquidonic acid early supplementation effect on broncopulmonary dysplasia incidence in extremely premature infants.

Oren Ledder with 4 Collaborating Centres: Pre-stenotic Inflammation following Endoscopic Balloon Dilatation in Crohn's Disease: A Prospective Study

Shlomi Cohen with 12 Collaborating Centres: International Registry of Pediatric Polyposis syndromes

2019

Matthias Zilbauer with 4 Collaborating Centres: Intestinal epithelial DNA methylation signatures as molecular markers to sub-classify paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBDs)
Henkjan Verkade with 5 Mains Collaborating Centres (25 sub centres): NAtural Course and Prognosis of PFIC and Effect of Biliary Diversion (NAPPED study)
Lorenzo Norsa with 8 Collaborating Centres: Pediatric Short Bowel Study on the use of Teduglutide in clinical practice (Real-TEDUPediatricRegistry)
Salvatore Oliva with 31 Collaborating Centres: The Pediatric Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders Biobank (PEGID-BB)
Frank Bodewes with 4 Collaborating Centres: CFTR related pancreatitis network (CFPANET)

2018

Michiel Paul van Wijk with 14 Collaborating Centres: An online database and analysis platform to study pediatric esophageal motility disorders - Building a network to facilitate international multi-center research
Caterina Strisciuglio with 6 Collaborating Centres: Diet and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in children and adolescents in the Mediterranean countries.
Marina Aloi with 21 Collaborating Centres: The Porto IBD Group Biobank and database for clinical and basic research in pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases
Valérie McLin with 23 Collaborating Centres: International Registry of Congenital Porto-systemic Shunts (IRCPSS)
Birgitta Strandvik with 2 Collaborating Centres: Double-blind randomized controlled study of fatty acid supplementation for 1 year in patients with cystic fibrosis – Influence on clinical status and metabolism

2017

Frederic Gottrand with 1 collaborating centre: Eosinophilic esophagitis in Esophageaeal Atresia Study.
Luisa Mearin with with 16 collaborating centres: Early feeding and the risk of Coeliac Disease and Autoimmunity in children from high risk families: Prevent CD study.
Merrit Tabbers with 6 collaborating centres: Development of a core outcome set for infant Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Publication

2016

Carla Colombo with 7 collaborating centres: Evaluation of Ursodeoxycholic Acid Treatment in Liver Disease Associated With Cystic Fibrosis: A Multicentre Cohort Study
Nikhil Thapar with with 15 collaborating centres: Establishing a European Database for Paediatric Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction
Anders Paerregaard with 5 collaborating centres: The Incidence of Cancer and Mortality in Paediatric Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease During a 25 Year Period (1990-2015) - A Population Based Multicentre Study from Denmark and Finland. Publication

2015

Deirdre Kelly with 21 collaborating centres: Graft Injury Group Observing Long-term Outcomes (GIGOLO) - an ESPGHAN Clinical Research Network
Luisa Mearin with 18 collaborating centres: Early feeding and the risk of coeliac disease and autoimmunity in children from high risk families: The European PREVENTCD study
Noam Zevit with 30 collaborating centres: Paediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis: The European Experience

2014

Uhlig Holm with 14 collaborating centres: The COLORS in IBD project: the genetic basis of very early onset IBD
Sibylle Koletzko with 35 collaborating centres: Evaluation of predictive and informative symptoms to guide decision making in newly diagnosed coeliac patients, and to predict resolution: implications for the ESPGHAN guidelines
Florence Lacaille with 10 collaborating centres: The microbiota in intestinal transplantation. A study of the Network for Intestinal Failure and Transplantation in Europe

2013

Luisa Mearin with 17 collaborating centres: Influence of the dietary history on the prevention of CD: possibilities of induction of tolerance for gluten predisposed children

2012

Ulrich Baumann with 6 collaborating centres: Immunomonitoring after paediatric liver transplantation – optimization of immunosuppression and minimisation of side effects
Lorenzo D’Antiga with 13 collaborating centres: Network for intestinal failure and transplantation in Europe (NITE)
Frank Ruemmele with 39 collaborating centres: GENIUS Network – Diagnosis and characterisation of very early onset IBD

2011

Annamaria Staiano and the Working Group for GERD: Implementation and Applicability of 2009 NASPGHAN-ESPGHAN Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux in Children

Contact

For any enquiry regarding this award, please contact ESPGHAN Office office@espghan.org