The Call for Projects aims to contribute to the long-term financing of research projects in biomedicine or biotechnology, preferably at the University of Luxembourg.

The Fondation du Pélican de Mie and Pierre Hippert-Faber (Foundation) was created under the aegis of Fondation de Luxembourg in 2010 by Mr. Pierre Hippert, in memory of his wife. A former Luxembourg pharmacist, Pierre Hippert was passionate about science and the arts, and through his foundation, wished to support initiatives aimed at encouraging research, particularly in the fields of scientific and academic research. While Pierre Hippert unfortunately passed away in 2021 at the age of 92, his vision continues to shine through his Foundation.

In this regard, the Fondation du Pélican seeks to provide long-term support in the field of biomedicine and biotechnology.

Please click below for the complete information on how to submit your application to the Hippert Research Program Call for Projects.

• Eligibility Criteria
• Selection Procedure
• Selection Criteria
• Application Procedure
• Contact
• Additional Documentation
• Grant Application Form Preview

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants are public institutions performing research, especially in Luxembourg, i.e, research units, research laboratories or research entities attached to the University of Luxembourg.

The submitted projects can take place within the University of Luxembourg, in the frame of partnerships. The project proposals can be based on a previously achieved project to deepen a new research path and/or create a new strategic trajectory of research.

Public institutions in Luxembourg are only eligible if they can offer an employment contract to each team member of the proposal for the full duration of the project/program, i.e 24 months for post-Doc and at least 36 months for PhD candidates.

The project proposal may be carried out in collaboration with one or more public research institutions in Luxembourg or abroad. The collaborating non-Luxembourg institution(s) must receive less than 50% of the total project budget.

The collaborating non-Luxembourg institution(s) will not employ the University of Luxembourg’s team researcher, but applicants should be ensured that the collaborating institutions will be able to offer scientific guidance as well as office and /or laboratory space, when applicable.

Any additional Institutions based in Luxembourg which play a major role in the execution of the project should be listed under “Collaborating Institution”.

The project must be sufficiently detailed to facilitate its evaluation by the assessors. The duration of the project must be specified and, if possible, should not exceed three years. The project budget must be detailed, especially if other partners are involved. The total annual budget per project may not exceed 300.000€ for the eligible applicant.

Selection Procudure

An independent jury composed of external scientific experts will review the submitted applications. These independent external experts will be identified by the Foundation based on their respective experience, background, and associated skills in the targeted domain.

The jury provides its evaluation results to the Management Committee of the Foundation, which will validate the final grantee(s). The ranking and recommendation of the jury shall be so endorsed by the Foundation. This decision is final and shall not be subject to appeal. If the jury considers that none of the applicants qualify for funding, the Foundation may decide not to allocate the funds. The funding will be allocated to the research project/program of the eligible applicant(s), not an individual.

Selection Criteria

The members of the jury will evaluate the applications based on the following criteria:

• Quality of science-based approach, work plan (project management), team members (competence & expertise), and other resources used (tools, equipment, etc);
• Recognized public interest and relevance of the subject;
• Project feasibility;
• Clear use of funds;
• Existence or not of any co-funding (external and/or internal funds);
• Validation of the ethics committee and the data protection committee (if needed).

Application Procedure

The application procedure has two main steps. Applicants must first submit their intention to apply in writing to project.request@fdlux.lu, with the subject heading "2024 Pelican Research Program". All intentions to apply must be received within the period of pre-submission, until 20 November 2023, 14:00 CET.

In this email, applicants must provide: Name, Surname, Title, Position, Institution /Organization, Postal Address, Phone Number, Email, Project title and a concise text presenting your project (Max 1500 Characters).

Applicants will then receive a link to access the online Grant Application Form with a Log-in ID and Password. After accessing this form, applicants must complete their FULL APPLICATION via the online Grant Application Form by 01 December 2023, 14:00 CET, at the latest. Please take careful note of the deadlines for both the intention to apply and the full application.

The winner(s) will be informed of the final decision, at the latest, May 2024. The winner(s) will be invited to present their research project at the latest in September 2024 during a kick-off meeting with the jury of independent experts. Up to three projects maximum could be selected.

Contact

For further questions, please write by email to project.request@fdlux.lu.

Due Diligence Practice

The Foundation will directly reward the winner(s). A due diligence process will be applied to the potential laureate to verify their probity and integrity.

Please keep in mind the documentation to attach to the completed application:

• Formal authorization to apply from the representative institution and collaborating institution(s) (mandatory),
• Formal, signed commitment as to the accuracy of the information, provided by the applicant (mandatory),
• Research / Scientific protocol / Detailed methodology - (max 2 pages),
• Detailed project plan (grant, work package and associated information) - (max. 5 pages)
• Budget, including all costs and sources of funding - (max. 2 pages),
• Detailed project governance, policies related to risk management, ethics and data protection issues (max. 3 pages),
• Curriculum vitae for each team member or key actors involved in the proposal, letter of motivation; letters of recommendation; acceptance document.

Grant Application Form Preview - To be completed on the online platform