KI NMA collaborative awards 2024

Collaborative awards to promote research activities, applications to bigger national and international grants, organisation of workshops and invited lecturers, and mobility between KI and the different institutions are offered this year to stimulate the collaborations within to initiate or sustain collaborations within the Network Medicine Alliance (https://www.network-medicine.org/) . 

The application should contain a brief description (max 4 A4 pages) of the initiative and a proposed budget (more information on the application below).  

Funding can be used for starting or maintaining a collaboration within network medicine, system biology and AI. Examples for use of funds include, but are not limited to: 

• Analysis for ongoing collaborative projects 
• Travel to collaborating lab support for transportation and accommodation  
• Data collection for ongoing or new research projects 
• Preparation for writing of a larger grant proposal in the field of network medicine, system medicine, and AI together with one or several partners within the Network Medicine Institute and Alliance, and/or with one or several partners at KI 
• Organising workshops, and external lectures held at KI on the topics of network medicine, system medicine and AI. 

Applications submitted by young investigators will be prioritized as well as those applications that includes a collaboration partner from the Network Medicine Institute and Alliance. The list of international partners can be accessed at: https://www.network-medicine.org/members . 

The maximum award for this call is 200 000 SEK for research projects, and up to 40 000 SEK for travel grants organising workshops, inviting external lecturers and other activities. 

Assessment of applications 

The applications will be assessed by an external evaluation committee composed of members of the Network Medicine Institute and Alliance. The Internationalisation board will thereafter decide which applications will be funded. 

All applications are assessed on the basis of the following three criteria 

- project feasibility 

- added value for KI 

- scientific quality and potential of the proposed project 

Weighting of these criteria is: 1 + 1 + 1  

Project feasibility 

- Are the total financial resources realistic in relation to the scope of the proposed collaboration/grant application? 

- Is there sufficient methodological competence to implement the project in the manner described? 

- Are there other experiences that in combination with the applicants’ various competencies strengthen the project feasibility? 

- Are materials, patients and methods well-chosen and adjusted for the hypothesis? 

- What are the strengths and weakness of the chosen approach? 

- Is the project ethically sound? 

Added value for KI 

- Is the proposed project consistent with the expertise and research focus of collaborating parties? 

- Do factors exist that could emphasize the coherence of the proposed project, such as prior collaborative efforts as evidenced by common publications and/or grants? 

- Does the application make clear that the achievement of the project goals is dependent on the participation and interaction of all partners involved and on their complementary skills and knowledge? 

- Is there a prospect for long-term collaborative research, education or innovation within the Network Medicine Institute and Alliance? 

Scientific quality and potential of the proposed project 

- Is the project original, innovative and challenging of current opinions or praxis? 

- Does it include an innovative hypothesis, or does it seek to resolve important obstacles for continued progress within the research area? 

- Does the project involve new ideas, therapies or interpretations? 

- If the project aims are achieved, would that significantly enrich knowledge in the particular research field and knowledge of health, disease and healthcare? 

- Does the project have clinical impact – both clinical relevance and potential to implement results clinically in the future? 

Assessment scale 

5 points = outstanding 

4 points = excellent 

3 points = very good 

2 points = good 

1 points = insufficient 

Application process and deadline 

The deadline is September 16, 2024 at 13.00. Proposals must be submitted via email to lise-lotte.vedin@ki.se. Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered. The application should be sent in as a single PDF file, be no more than four pages long with normal margins and minimum 11 point font, should reflect the criteria used for assessment and include a short budget plan. Please mark the application with the last name of main applicant and Dnr 2-776/2024. CV for main applicant/applicants is not included in the four-page limit and can be sent as a separate file. 

Decisions will be communicated by November 2024 and grants can be used for one year after issue.  There will be no written feedback to the applicants. All applicants will receive an e-mail with a decision. 

More information 

For any questions regarding the application please contact Lise-Lotte Vedin and for more information about KI NMA visit https://ki.se/en/collaboration/the-network-medicine-alliance and read more about our partners and the Network Medicine Institute and Alliance at https://www.network-medicine.org/.