Activities — Our projects — Voucher program to bridge funding gaps in clinical research

Voucher program to bridge funding gaps in clinical research

The program aims to support individual steps in clinical research projects that address critical health challenges and are linked directly or indirectly to clinical settings. Our primary objective is to ensure an uninterrupted flow of research and bridge possible gaps within or between larger grant funding. 

The Czech grant system is designed to support long-term projects, requiring detailed planning for every step at the time of application. However, a fundamental characteristic of groundbreaking “blue sky” research is the inability to anticipate all necessary purchases, travel, and experiments in advance. Research teams frequently encounter bureaucratic obstacles that hinder their ability to take essential next steps toward achieving significant results. Particularly for clinical research linked to hospitals or similar entities, inflexible funding timelines and lengthy administrative processes can complicate the practical implementation of ambitious research projects in clinical settings. Additionally, funding for small pilot projects needed as a prerequisite for large, long-term project applications are missing.

Funding program

Our primary objective is to ensure an uninterrupted flow of research that may lead to significant innovations, ultimately improving well-being for humanity. We have therefore established a new program offering fast and flexible vouchers (financial contributions of up to CZK 200,000) to cover essential clinical research expenses and bridge potential gaps in larger grant funding. 

In the pilot round of the program, we are opening an ongoing call which will close once the initial program funding of CZK 1 million has been allocated or by 30 November 2025 at the latest.

Applications can be submitted in Czech or English and are evaluated on a monthly basis. The final decision is made by the foundation’s board, and applicants are notified immediately thereafter. 

The funding is transferred within 10 days of signing the contract (or of its publication in the public registry of contracts should this be a legal obligation for a specific case).

Applications in Czech or English must be submitted via this form. After completing the application form, the required attachments must be sent by email to clinical-research@nf-iocbtech.cz​​​​​.

Applications must comply with the rules set out in the following Terms & Conditions.

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 overall volume of the pilot round of the program in 2025 is CZK 1 million. 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.


(v1.1, 15 April 2025)