BMFTR Funds Projects to Strengthen Gender-Sensitive Preclinical Research

The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) funds projects aimed at strengthening gender-sensitive preclinical research.

Funding is available for clinically relevant projects that investigate gender differences in disease mechanisms and contribute to the development of gender-sensitive diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The focus should be on research questions where gender aspects have been insufficiently addressed in previous research.

Eligible for funding are, for example, preclinical research approaches in the following areas:

• Investigation of potential gender differences in response to existing therapies in cell or animal models;
• Development and validation of animal models and cell culture models that account for potential gender differences;
• Gender-sensitive investigation of molecular and cellular disease mechanisms;
• Development of gender-sensitive diagnostic procedures, therapies, and risk prediction for specific diseases;
• Development of new drugs or gender-sensitive analysis of the mechanisms of action of already approved drugs in cell or animal models;
• Validation or development of gender-sensitive biomarkers for the efficacy of therapies.

The following will not be funded:

• Projects on gender-sensitive cancer research;
• Projects that deal exclusively with basic research questions without practical application or with primary prevention issues;
• Projects addressing issues in health services research;
• Clinical trials;
• Projects that focus on molecular targets for which there is no human ortholog.

The call for proposals can be found on the BMFTR website .

The process consists of two stages; the deadline for submitting the proposal outline is January 27, 2027.