EHA Kick-off Grant

The next call for applications will open on 9 June, 2025, at 15:00 (CEST).   

EHA Kick-Off Grants support new research questions that lack solid preliminary data. They ‘kick-off’ novel concepts and ideas and support high-risk but potentially high-impact research ideas that don’t yet have proof of principle data.   

The grants: 

  • Support basic and translational early-career researchers in hematology  
  • Last for one year 
  • Can provide a total award of up to €50,000 

Eligibility

You’re eligible if:  

  • You’re an EHA member 
  • Your institute is an academic research center or proven equivalent in Europe 
  • You have the support of an academic department and institute 
  • Your application relates to basic and translational lab-based research in hematology  

In addition, at least one of the following statements must apply: 

  • You received your PhD within eight years of the current closing date 
  • You’re a final year PhD student and will be enrolled in a post-doctorate position upon the receipt of an EHA Kick-off Grant 
  • You’re an MD interested in a career in research, and you were awarded your MD or PhD within eight years of the current closing date.  

If you received your qualifications outside the stated timeframe, please check our policy on life events and eligibility. If you have other questions about eligibility, please send us an email [email EHA-Grants@ecorys.com] before you apply.  

Proposal criteria

Your proposal will be eligible if it’s: 

  • Hypothesis-driven and based on a strong and novel scientific question  
  • Focused on hypothesis-testing rather than generation 
  • Able to achieve results within one year 

  Your application will not be eligible if it: 

  • Relates to development of commercial technology (unless there is a solid research question)  
  • Is aimed at descriptive molecular profiling  
  • Is about other non-lab-based research  

What an EHA Kick-Off Grant covers

An EHA Kick-Off Grant covers: 

  • Partial salary of the applicant 
  • Lab consumables  
  • Equipment—up to a maximum of € 5,000   
  • The mandatory cost of attending the EHA Congress whilst your project is active—up to a maximum of €2,000 per year 

It does not cover: 

  • Overhead costs   
  • Personnel costs (other than the applicant) 
  • Travel costs other than to the EHA Congress  
  • Funding for existing projects  
  • The development of commercial technology, unless it’s based on a solid research question  

If this grant does not fully cover your expenses, you must share details of how you’ll cover them.    

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