Apply for DKMS John Hansen Research Grant

The grant is funded by the foundation DKMS Stiftung Leben Spenden and administered by the DKMS Group gGmbH.

The research proposal needs to address issues on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or cell therapy for hematological diseases. Various aspects can be covered, including but not limited to: diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, transplant immunology, stem cell transplantation complications, donor selection, or cell manufacturing.

Funding Information

• With the John Hansen Research Grant, the awardee will be given a maximum of up to EUR 240,000 (EUR 80,000 annual budget) over a maximum funding period of three (3) years.

Funding Restrictions 

• The funds granted by the DKMS SLS may only be used for the fulfilment of the awarded research project. They are not bound to financial years. The awardee must use the funds granted cost-effectively and sparingly and must make use of all achievable cost advantages.
• Supplies such as disposables, chemicals, reagent kits, animals, etc., may be included.
• Hiring technicians with at least 30% of their time dedicated to the awarded project is allowed. The employment contracts shall be presented to the DKMS SLS for inspection upon request. Hiring requirements must be fulfilled in line with the respective national legal regulations. Salaries for supervisor or collaborators may not be included. A maximum of EUR 2,500 per year for travel, accommodation costs and registration fee to a scientific meeting for presentation of the awarded project data by the awardee may be used. Expenses for childcare costs at the conference site (if offered) may be charged extra. The maximum travel amount provided annually may only be used for travel expenses to the conference location on the following listed conditions:
  • The resulting costs are absolutely necessary to reach the conference destination.
  • Plane and train tickets must be economy class.
  • There must not be more than 24h of layover between connecting flights or rail journeys.
  • Overnight accommodation in 5-star hotels is not permitted.
  • Flat-rates for meals and other food or drink costs are not recognized.
  • Taxi rides and parking fees should be avoided as far as possible.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants from all countries are welcome to apply. Awardees from previous years cannot apply a second time.
• Funding through the John Hansen Research Grant is dependent on the eligibility of the applicant: Applicant must have received a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, or equivalent achievements) in a field pertinent to the grant within the last 10 years from the grant call start date. Applicants whose careers have been interrupted after receiving a doctoral degree, may request an extension of the degree requirement insofar as the interruption occurred for example to one of the following reasons: family care responsibilities, applicant’s disability or illness, active duty community service. Such request for extension shall be initiated within the scope of the application phase by completing the Extension Request Form which will be provided on demand. Upon request, the reasons leading to such a request must be substantiated by appropriate documentation. Requests for extension will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Applicants must appoint a supervisor in their application. The supervisor should ideally be a senior scientist in the applicant’s host institution with experience in the research proposal topic, who can provide guidance and support for an adequate project progress.
• The host institution where the applicant and the supervisor are affiliated must be a organization eligible for funding by DKMS SLS as imposed on DKMS SLS by the German tax authorities.
• Eligible organizations are governmental organizations (legal person under public law) defined as: legal persons under public law including regional authorities of the federation, member states and municipalities, chambers of industry and commerce public law institutions, e.g. universities or schools and state foundations.
• Generally, legal persons under public law carry out regulatory tasks. Furthermore, other nongovernmental non-profit organizations are eligible for funding by DKMS SLS if they meet the following criteria:
  • As an organization, a corporation differs from the totality of their members and has its own sphere of capital, separated from its members. Particularly in economic activities, a corporation has to act independently from its members and generate its own income.
  • The income therefore has to be allocated to the corporation and not to the totality of its members.
  • The corporation may also keep profits and losses of business activities.
  • The corporation exists independently from its existing or transferred members.
  • The corporation has to be managed by appointed officers, who act for the corporation and not for the totality of its members (key term: foreign organs).
  • Corporation members/shareholders shall only have a right to the corporate assets in cases of liquidation and similar corporate transactions.
  • In principle, there is no liability for the members of the corporation; neither do they eventually have to provide variation margins.
• German organizations are eligible for funding if they can provide a valid an individually issued exemption certificate (called in German “Freistellungsbescheid”).
• All documents must be submitted in English or German. The DKMS SLS does not pay translation fees.

For more information, visit DKMS.