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Call for tenders

EDMUS Foundation 8th call for MS and related disorders research proposals

The EDMUS Foundation, in partnership with the ARSEP Foundation, launches its annual call for research proposals.

It aims at fostering research with relevance to multiple sclerosis and related disorders, provided the projects are using data collected or to be collected by the Observatoire Français de la Sclérose en Plaques (OFSEP, the French MS registry).

 Data collected include clinical data, MRI, biological samples and French National Insurance database (SNDS).

Clinical data include the description of the patients, MS course and disease-modifying treatments (socio-demographic characteristics, neurological episodes, disability, treatment, serious adverse events, etc.). Data from more than 80,000 patients are available.

MRIs prescribed as part of care are carried out according to standardized acquisition protocols, defined by the OFSEP imaging group. MRI from more than 6,000 patients are available, corresponding to 23,000 scans.

Biological samples includes blood (serum, EDTA plasma, DNA, PBMC (Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells)), urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and stools. Data about these samples are entered into a single centralized TK® database (biological sample management software), constituting a virtual BRC. Biological samples from more than 4,000 patients are available.

French National Insurance database (SNDS) contains data of: 1/ reimbursements made by all health insurance plans (consulting, drug dispensing, medical procedures, biological exams, issuance of technical aids, long-term disease); 2/ hospital medical activity (hospitalizations, diagnoses, medical procedures, external consultations); and 3/ death causes. It allows to access non-specific MS data including comorbidities, co-prescriptions, and recourse to care… OFSEP data of more than 40,000 patients are merged to SNDS data. The SNDS extract covered currently the 2009-2019 period.

Prospective projects can include one or several types of data (clinical/ MRI/biological samples) to be collected within the OFSEP network.

 Regulations about research grants:

  • A principal investigator (PI) can only submit one project per year to this call.
  • A principal investigator (PI) can submit his project to both this call for proposals and the ARSEP call for proposals.
  • The EDMUS Foundation can fund projects submitted by a PI outside France provided the collaboration with at least one French team with a major role in the project.
  • The maximum requested budget per project is 100,000.00 €; there is no minimal limit.
  • Scientific excellence is the sole criterion on the basis of which grants are awarded.
  • Funding will be granted for one or two years, renewable after resubmission.
  • Funding is for laboratory expenses, equipment, access to a technology platform, salaries, and acquisition of new data to enrich the database. In case of required biological samples, please contact OFSEP coordination team at contact@ofsep.org for budget evaluation.

NB1: The data management, required before provision of the data, is free of charge only for the members of the OFSEP network (depending on workload). Data management related costs must be incorporated in the budget for the non-OFSEP member project leaders. Please contact OFSEP coordination team for more information and budget evaluation.

NB2: Statistical analyses and project management can be done by the OFSEP coordination team upon request. Related costs have to be incorporated in the budget.  Please contact OFSEP coordination team for more information and budget evaluation.

 Evaluation of the proposals

  • Proposals will be evaluated in parallel by the OFSEP Scientific board and the ARSEP medico-scientific committee.
  • The OFSEP coordination team will analyze the feasibility of the projects with regards to availability of requested OFSEP data.
  • Participation in a project must be signed by all collaborators involved in the proposed research.

Each application is divided in 2 files: 

  • An administrative file. Please, send this file in MS Word format. Information provided in this file (summaries in French for a lay audience) will be used by EDMUS Foundation and ARSEP Foundation for their own communication needs.
  • A project file. This file could be sent in PDF or MS Word format.

Applications have to be written in English.

BEWARE:
A completed application should have these 2 files.

Applications must be sent by: 

– e-mail to Mrs Véronique MILLOT at call@fondation-edmus.org

For the electronic version, we cannot accept more than 2 electronic files per grant application. The title of the email should contain the name of the candidate + “AO-FEDMUS 2023” (for example: ADAMS-AO-FEDMUS 2023)

 For more information:
Contact Mrs. Véronique MILLOT at call@fondation-edmus.org

Results:  July 2023.