ESC Research Grants

Obtain research experience in a high-standard academic centre

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) supports the future of cardiovascular medicine. Each year the ESC provides €2 million in grants, fellowships, and scholarships.

What is the ESC Research Grant?

Research Grants 1500x1000.jpg Research grants of €25,000 provide an opportunity for medical graduates and researchers to undertake specialised cardiovascular research in an ESC member country's centre of excellence. The goal is to help young candidates obtain research experience in a high-standard academic centre which will enable them to contribute to the improvement of academic standards upon returning to their own country. With this goal in mind, preference is given to applicants from countries or regions where modern clinical cardiology is not yet strong, provided there is enough evidence that the applicants can, after the research period, contribute to the improvement of clinical cardiology in their home country.

It is also an opportunity to learn and to improve skills, as well as a great occasion to develop one’s own international, professional network.

Why should I apply?

Who can apply?

Any citizen or permanent resident of an ESC member country or an ESC affiliated country during the three years preceding the application date.
Applicants should be members of the ESC.
Applicants who have not been 'ordinary' residents in such countries are not eligible.
Periods of residence dedicated to full-time education will not be accepted as 'ordinary' residence for this purpose.
Must hold a PhD or DPhil degree or equivalent, or must have submitted a thesis before starting the research period relating to the grant.
Medical graduates should have completed their basic professional training and be able to demonstrate expertise in cardiology through an abstract presentation at a national or international meeting or have published one paper in a relevant journal.
Applicants should not be older than 40 as of the day of the application deadline (31 January).

Tenure

Research periods related to the ESC grant may be undertaken for any period from three months to one year.

Level of support

Research grants recipients will receive a lump sum up to a maximum of €25,000 for a 12-month period for their daily subsistence. The grant will be calculated pro-rata according to the length of the research period.

How to apply?

Proposals may be submitted for specialised research or further research training or, in the case of medical graduates, for training in a basic subject.

Applicants are advised to seek a centre in an ESC member country other than the country of their current residence. The centre should not only offer good research and training opportunities but should also be appropriate for the specific research they wish to undertake.

The host institution's track record or expertise should be in line with the topic of the application (treatment, techniques, methods…).

The application is to be performed online.

The following templates are required to be completed and uploaded with the application:

The applicant's curriculum vitae with the following information:
- Postgraduate career, including present employment
- Previous training in clinical cardiology
- Research experience
- Academic record
- Publications in refereed journals relevant to this application: journal title, page number(s), and names of co-authors are to be stated
A document to be completed by the current head of department or supervisor
A document with the description of the proposed research, to be prepared jointly with the proposed supervisor
A document to be completed by the future supervisor
A document to be completed by an independent referee who is not attached to the applicant's current or proposed host department

Applications are closed.

Notes on applying for research grants

Applications will be graded by the ESC Research and Grants Committee, from one to five, on the following five criteria, and applicants should consider them carefully when completing the forms:

Scientific novelty/innovative nature and quality of the proposal (30%)
Feasibility of the project (15%)
Candidate's profile (optimal career stage; achievements so far – 20%)
Details of host institution's quality and support for candidate's research (25%)
Summary assessment of benefits for the future of the candidate (10%)

The required documentation must be submitted with the application. Please download the templates to be completed by the responsible persons who have been requested to complete them. Once completed, please upload them, together with your CV, in your application and submit everything before the deadline.

The ESC Research and Grants Committee will only evaluate the documentation submitted with the application, and only complete applications will be considered. Paper applications or other papers will not be accepted. All documents need to be in English.

Applications are exceptionally closed for this year. When open, the usual application deadline date is 31 January.

Candidates should submit their applications in advance, preferably by mid-January, so that they may be advised of any missing elements in time to gather them and/or to get in contact with the person(s) responsible for delivering the corresponding elements. Applications submitted after the annual deadline will not be considered by the ESC Research and Grants Committee. The candidates will be informed of the results by email by the end of March.