Frequently asked questions

Lead applicant and responsibilities

What are the responsibilities of the lead applicant toward the foundation?

The project leader will be responsible for all operational, scientific, reporting and financial aspects of the project for its duration. The funds will be paid out to the home institution of the lead applicant, whose responsibility it is to allocate the funds to the other participating institutions / co-applicants. 

Can a person be a lead applicant on one consortium and be a co-applicant in another consortium?

Yes, this is possible if the consortia are sufficiently distinct from each other with regards to their research and clinical aims. 

Is it possible to apply for a grant – as main or co-applicant – while already being a co-recipient of an ongoing grant from the Helmut Horten Foundation?

Yes, this is permitted.

Can there be two lead applicants (e.g. from different hospitals)?

No, the foundation requests a single responsible project lead for operational, scientific, reporting and financial purposes.

Is it possible to apply for both grants (i.e. Young Investigator and Consortium Project)?

No, the applicant should take a choice for which program to apply to as lead applicant. It is however possible to be a co-applicant in a Consortium Project, when applying for the Young Investigator program.

 

Types of applicants (e.g. internationality, private sector)

Can projects from outside Switzerland be supported?

In general, the grant can support projects outside Switzerland when the lead applicant is an independent group leader at a Swiss university or research institute. The foundation can only fund Swiss institutions directly, i.e. funds for outside Switzerland would need to be billed via the lead applicant’s home institution.

Can clinical trials by (international) biotech / pharma companies be funded?

The Foundation is currently not in the position to fund clinical trials led by an international biotech or pharma company but focuses its efforts on research within an academic setting (investigator-initiated trials) that combines clinical and basic scientific (experimental and computational) approaches.

 

Budget

What level of detail is required for the budget?

A simple breakdown of cost into personnel and consumables / equipment for the desired period is required. It has to be apparent from the submitted materials how the funds are allocated across institutions, group leaders and specific research activities. NB: Group leaders’ salaries must not be funded via the grant.  

What administrative costs for project management should be part of the budget?

Administrative costs that are «unique» to the project should be covered (e.g. recruiting patients for a clinical trial, organizing Institutional Review Boards (IRB) permits, logging and managing data etc.). Administrative costs that are part of a functioning research and translational environment (also necessary for other projects, such as fiscal reporting, ordering, HR procedures, general IT etc.) cannot be charged to the grant (the «usual» overheads). We expect that the environment in which the grantees work will support this (in-kind contribution).

 

Application 

In the “Structured Summary Template”, what text counts towards the 500 word limit?

Starting with the “Project Title”, all text provided by the applicant counts toward the 500 word limit; i.e. information provided under “Applicant Name and Institution” does not count.

How should projects be categorized that are at the interface of “brain health” and “all medical areas”?

Projects should be classified under “Brain Health” if they primarily focus on: Neurological or psychiatric disorders; Brain development or neurodegeneration; Brain-body interactions (e.g., gut-brain axis, neuroimmune signalling); Neuromodulation techniques; and/or Drugs or interventions that target the brain or central nervous system. As a rule of thumb: If more than 50% of the scientific problem lies in the brain or brain-derived systems, it is reasonable to select the Brain Health category. The applicant shall take the choice and indicate if they are uncertain about their selection; the Foundation will check all allocations to ensure a fair review.