Seed Fund

This call is now closed.

About

The Seed Fund of the A4L BRIDGE project aims to support the launch of small collaborative scientific projects emerging from the activities of the Virtual Research Center (VRC). The goal is to enable partners to test initial joint ideas, build mutual trust, obtain preliminary results, and create a foundation for larger consortia and proposals under Horizon Europe or other international funding schemes. Our objectives are: 

  • Promote collaboration among CEE partners 1
  • Foster innovative scientific ideas with Horizon Europe potential
  • Generate preliminary results to strengthen future grant proposals
  • Build foundation and long-term partnerships between institutions

Key information

Who can apply?

The Seed Fund is open to researchers from Alliance4Life institutions who are also members of the Virtual Research Centre (VRC). Not a member yet? Learn more on the About the VRC page.​

What we support?

  • Small-scale research projects
  • Preparatory activities for larger grant applications
  • Actions strengthening collaboration among CEE institutions

Who must be involved in the proposed project?

  • Project must include collaboration between researchers from at least two member institutions
  • Projects may involve industry partners as well as partners who are not members of Alliance4Life. Their participation is optional but may increase the project’s impact.

What is the evaluation process?

  1. Proposal submission via an online form
  2. Independent expert review (ensuring objectivity and avoiding conflict of interest); projects are evaluated and ranked by selected experts from the database of experts
  3. Approval of selected projects by the Scientific Committee of Alliance4Life BRIDGE
  4. Announcement of funded projects

If the number of positively evaluated proposals exceeds the available budget, the final ranking will be determined by the expert score. In case of proposals with identical scores, the ranking will follow the Horizon Europe tie-break rules, giving priority in the following order: excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation. If proposals remain tied after applying these criteria, the final decision will be made by the Scientific Committee.

What are the evaluation criteria?

Proposals will be assessed by independent experts and selected by the project’s Scientific Committee:

  1. Originality of the scientific idea
  2. Leadership of CEE partners and strengthening CEE collaboration
  3. Feasibility of work plan and budget (compliance with Horizon Europe rules)
  4. Potential for Horizon Europe proposal submission
  5. Sustainability and long-term vision

Results of the Call

MicroRNA Regulators of Coronary Angiogenesis and Collateral Vessel Growth in Ischaemic Heart Disease (COLLATERA-MiR)

  • Coordinating Institution: Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest
  • Partner institution: University of Zagreb School of Medicine
  • Principal Investigator: Dr. Diana Zamfir

Integration of prevention programs in Central and Eastern Europe: a comparative analysis and a pilot optimization model based on the examples of the selected regions of Poland, Slovakia and Romania (PREVENT-CEE A4L)

  • Coordinating Institution: Medical University of Lodz
  • Partner institution: Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest
  • Principal Investigator: Anna Lipert, PhD, DSc

Testing of novel Drugs in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Models of its Microenvironment (LeukemiaEnvironDrugs)

  • Coordinating Institution: CEITEC Masaryk University
  • Partner institution: University of Ljubljana
  • Principal Investigator: Prof. Marek Mráz, Ph.D.

Proteomic Molecular Mapping of Alzheimer’s Disease Brain Organoid Models (PRO-MAP-AD)

  • Coordinating Institution: University of Zagreb School of Medicine
  • Partner institution: CEITEC Masaryk University
  • Principal Investigator: Prof. Dinko Mitrečić

Strengthening Hypertension Management through a Clinically Integrated Interdisciplinary Collaborative Network (HYPER-NET)

  • Coordinating Institution: Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest
  • Partner instituions: Medical University of Lodz; Faculty of Automatic Control and Computers, National University of Science and Technology PolitehnicaBucharest; Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea,
  • Principal Investigator: Lucia Bubulac, MD, PhD

Integrated Venous Ultrasound Assessment in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure: Comparison of Subclavian vs. Inferior Vena Cava Collapsibility and Subclavian vs. Hepatic Vein Doppler Flow Patterns for Predicting Decongestion (SCIVAD)

  • Coordinating Institution: Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest
  • Partner institution: Medical University of Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Principal Investigator: Dr. Mihai Grigore

Intracellular Transport Defects in Astrocytes and Neurons Derived from Adar Mutant Mice (ITDANAdarM)

  • Coordinating Institution: CEITEC Masaryk University
  • Partner institution: University of Ljubljana
  • Principal Investigator: Valentina Lacovich Strašil, Ph.D.

Biomarkers of Central Nervous System Trauma and Treatment Efficacy (B-CENTRE)

  • Coordinating Institution: The Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences
  • Partner institutions: Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Latvia; Vilnius University (VU), Lithuania
  • Principal Investigator: MUDr. Karolína Kuchárová, PhD.

Epigenetic RNA Editing and lncRNA Networks Driving Treatment Resistance in Colorectal Cancer (RENDER-CRC)

  • Coordinating Institution: The Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences
  • Partner institution: Vilnius University (VU), Lithuania
  • Principal Investigator: RNDr. Zuzana Kozovská, PhD.

Immunometabolic profiling of obese asthma to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets (OB-ASTHMA)

  • Coordinating Institution: University of Ljubljana
  • Partner institution: Semmelweis University
  • Principal Investigator: Tadeja Režen, PhD

Computational, real-time optical and acoustic detection methods as a looking glass into ganglioside-protein interactions (GANGLIO-PRODETECT)

  • Coordinating Institution: University of Zagreb School of Medicine
  • Partner institution: Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine, Lithuania
  • Principal Investigator: ass. Prof. Kristina Mlinac Jerković, PhD

Inflammation–Microbiome Profiling and Collaborative Data Transfer in IBD (IMPACT)

  • Coordinating Institution: Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest
  • Partner institutions: University of Zagreb School of Medicine; National Institute of Pathology, Victor Babes, Bucharest, Romania
  • Principal Investigator: Dr. Elena Milanesi

Contact

Ivana Kugler

Project Manager, CEITEC MU


e‑mail:

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