BMFTR guideline on project funding Reducing the gender data gap in clinical research

The aim of the guideline published by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) on December 3, 2025 "is to identify the most urgent research questions from the perspective of patients to close the gender data gap in gender-sensitive treatment. In addition, in the short to medium term, gender-sensitive aspects are to be given greater consideration in clinical research and scientists are to be made more aware of the need to consider aspects of gender-sensitive medicine at an early career stage."

The purpose of the funding measure is to promote

• systematic reviews of existing evidence on gender-sensitive treatment of various diseases,
• Post-hoc analyses of data sets from clinical or register studies with a view to gender-sensitive aspects of the therapy under investigation,
• "Priority Setting Partnerships", in which researchers work together with patients, their representatives and other relevant target groups to identify relevant evidence gaps for gender-sensitive therapy, and of
• summer schools to strengthen the skills of scientists in an early career phase in questions of gender-sensitive clinical research.

The deadline for submitting funding applications is March 10, 2026.

The guidelines can be found on the BMFTR website.