Opportunities
RSS subscribeRegenerative Medicine (REMEDIC) Short Visits and Exchange Grants
Due: this is perpetual, applications may be submitted at any stage
Organisation: European Science Foundation
WWW: www.esf.org/activities/research-networking-programmes/medical-sciences-emrc/current-esf-research-networking-programmes/regenerative-medicine-remedic/online-applications-forms.html
description
Regenerative medicine, a rapidly evolving and exciting field, can be defined as the process of creating living, functional tissues to repair or replace tissue or organ function lost due to age, disease, damage, or congenital defects. This can be done through a variety of approaches including the replacement of tissue function with synthetic constructs (artificial organs) and using cellular therapies such as stem cells or genetically modified cells to generate new tissues and organs.
Recent advances in stem cell technologies, including for example the ability to induce human pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, mark a new era for regenerative medicine.Stem cells have an almost unlimited proliferation potential accompanied by an ability to differentiate. Thus, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs — that give rise to the various blood cell types, including neutrophils and erythrocytes) and mesenchymal stem (or stromal) cells (MSCs — that give rise to many cell types, including adipocytes and chondrocytes) form an essential element in regenerative (or reparative) medicine, including guided regeneration.
As our knowledge advances, the frontiers of regenerative medicine are rapidly expanding. Regenerative medicine provides new insights in areas including cellular proliferation, effects of humoral and matrix signalling on cells, angiogenesis, tissue remodelling, naïve and adaptive immunity and other basic processes in cell biology. Still, regenerative medicine is in its infancy and to advance progress in this important field, national funding agencies from 13 European countries have joined forces to launch a cross-disciplinary Research Networking Programme, REMEDIC, to identify where the frontiers and future needs are in this complex multidisciplinary high-technology field, by networking researchers and clinicians across Europe.
The aims of the Call for Short Visit and Exchange Grant Applications are as follows:
- To facilitate the exchange of ideas and know-how across disciplines in the area of mesenchymal (stromal) and other stem cells
- To review the regulatory laws, rules and standards governing the use of regenerative medicine
- To map the unmet population, academia and company needs in regenerative medicine and the current R&D resources (e.g., instruments, analysis techniques)
- To assist researchers in the field of regenerative medicine in preparing cross-disciplinary coordinated research projects
Short Visit Grants are for young scientists (those at the postdoctoral level) working on topics related to the scientific objectives of the programme.
Exchange Grants are especially directed to young scientists (those registered as PhD students or with less than four years’ research experience) who propose to visit a host laboratory to learn new/recent “omics,” molecular or other techniques, particularly if the applicant is from a laboratory where the use of these techniques has no long tradition. Priority will be given to young scientists who are currently based in one of the 14 countries that financially support the programme.
REMEDIC is offering funding for a number of Short Visit Grants to take place in early 2010; visits may be 15 days. Short Visit Grants are reimbursed on a per diem basis of €85 plus actual travel expenses up to a maximum of €500.
REMEDIC is offering funding for a number of Exchange Grants of up to one month (in exceptional cases, even longer) to take place in 2009. Exchange Grants are reimbursed on the basis of an allowance of €400 per week plus actual travel expenses of up to a maximum of €500. Travel will be refunded on the basis of actual costs and on the basis of APEX type airfares or 2nd class train travel for shorter distances. The grants do not cover health insurance, taxes, or retirement scheme contributions.
There is no fixed deadline for applications; funding decisions are taken by the REMEDIC steering committee every two to three months, but can, for fast decisions, be delegated to the scientific visit subgroup and programme chair. When submitting applications applicants are asked to try to ensure that there is at least three months between the date of submission and the proposed starting date of the visit, to ensure that the committee has sufficient time to evaluate the application.
Whilst all efforts are made to provide you with correct information, we cannot guarantee that the details given here current and accurate. Please click on the WWW link given in order to see the full details.
