1. Eligibility Criteria
1.1. Applicants
The program is open to individual researchers, research teams, universities, non-profit research institutions, and hospitals.
The applicant must be affiliated with a recognized research entity based in the Czech Republic and provide a letter of institutional support together with the application.
1.2. Focus
The proposed research activity must represent a necessary linking part of ongoing research that cannot be covered from other pre-planned budgets. The application must properly justify why other funding cannot be used. Collaboration with healthcare facilities (if the applicant does not represent a hospital) is obligatory to ensure the clinical character of the research.
2. Funding Details
2.1. Grant Amount
The requested amount must reflect the scope and impact of the planned activities.
The maximum individual contribution is CZK 200,000.
Repeated applications will be considered subject to availability of funding and their alignment with the overall criteria.
2.2. Eligible Expenses
The following expenses are eligible if they occur unexpectedly and cannot be covered from other pre-planned budgets:
- Equipment and materials
- Lab and facility fees
- Data collection and analysis
- Ethical approval and regulatory fees
- Travel expenses (only for research experiments and consultation-related purposes – expenses related to conferences and similar events are strictly non-eligible)
2.3. Non-Eligible Expenses
The following expenses are non-eligible:
- Personnel costs
- Any expenses related to conferences, congresses and hospitality
- Institutional overheads (unless explicitly approved)
- Any lobbying or political activities
- Personal expenses unrelated to the research
- Marketing activities
This list may not be exhaustive and the eligibility of all expenses will be carefully considered.
3. Application Process
3.1. Submission
Applications must be submitted via this form only, in Czech or English.
3.2. Requirements
Applicants must submit:
- A detailed description of the activities and the related urgent costs to be covered by the program, together with an explanation of why these cannot be covered from other resources, their role in the applicant’s other research activities, and the expected timeline. (3,000 characters maximum)
- CVs of key researcher/s
- Letter of institutional support – if costs related to IPR protection are requested, this letter must also confirm the submission of an invention disclosure
- Ethics approval documentation (if applicable)
The required attachments must be sent by email to clinical-research@nf-iocbtech.cz after completing the application form.
3.3. Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be assessed based on:
- Scientific need and feasibility
- Direct clinical applicability
- Urgency and lack of other “gap” funding
- Links to other research activities
- Potential impact on society
4. Grant Disbursement & Reporting
4.1. Payment
- 100% upfront upon grant approval (transferred within 10 days of the final signature of the contract)
4.2. Reporting Obligations
- A final descriptive report detailing findings and links to existing or planned research projects, challenges, and impact (2 A4 pages maximum), submitted by the date agreed upon in the contract
- A financial report showing fund utilization, submitted together with the final descriptive report
- Participation in knowledge-sharing or PR activities organized by the donor (if requested)
5. Termination & Compliance
The foundation reserves the right to terminate funding and request the return of funding if:
- The project deviates from the approved proposal without justification subsequently approved by the donor.
- The research team fails to meet ethical or reporting obligations.
- There is evidence of misuse of funds.
6. Contact & Support
For inquiries or clarifications, contact clinical-research@nf-iocbtech.cz.
(v1.2, 29 November 2025)