Funding and support for research projects

The application process is designed to help investigators develop their project and clarify their support needs before a formal decision is made.

1. Contact the LRC team: investigators should first contact the relevant Disease areas coordinator, who will guide them through the application and feasibility process.
2. Submit an initial project description: the Principal Investigator (PI) completes the first part of the LRC Fact Sheet, providing the key information about the proposed project.
3. Participate in a feasibility discussion: the LRC team meets with the PI to discuss the project idea, assess its alignment with the LRC strategic plan and priorities, identify opportunities for collaboration, and help refine and strengthen the proposal. The PI is then informed of the next steps.
4. Define project needs and budget: following the feasibility discussion, the second part of the LRC Fact Sheet is completed to specify the resources and support required. A preliminary budget estimate is also developed. The completed request is then submitted through the centralised LRC process.

Projects requesting LRC support are reviewed against a common set of criteria to ensure that LRC resources are directed towards scientifically robust, strategically relevant and feasible research.

The evaluation considers five main dimensions:

1. Patient/clinical need: projects should have the potential to improve patient care or generate knowledge that benefits patients, for example through better diagnosis, treatment, prevention, outcomes, quality of life or healthcare delivery.
2. Scientific rigour: proposals should demonstrate scientific quality, methodological rigour, appropriate study design and a credible likelihood of success.
3. Strategic alignment: projects should align with the priorities of the relevant LRC health domain and contribute to healthcare and research priorities in Luxembourg.
4. Collaboration: projects involving multidisciplinary and multi-institutional collaborations between hospitals, research institutes, universities and other healthcare partners, both national and international, is strongly encouraged.
5. Operational & financial feasibility: the assessment considers whether sufficient resources and infrastructure are available to support the project. This includes the proposed budget and other secured funding, access to the necessary infrastructure, the capacity of the project team, and the availability of the requested LRC support. The LRC also assesses whether the project can realistically be delivered within the proposed timeframe. This includes the feasibility of participant recruitment, timelines and milestones, availability of the necessary tools and systems, regulatory readiness, and any contractual requirements such as data-sharing or collaboration agreements.

Clinical research projects often rely on a combination of institutional, private and/or commercial funding sources, each with its own decision-making process.

For projects requesting LRC funding or other resources, the final decision rests with the LRC Directorate.

Depending on the level of support requested, the LRC Translational Steering Committee (TSC) advises the Directorate, and may be consulted based on other criteria, like complexity, questions about feasibility or capacity restraints and priorities. TSC review is systematically required for LRC funding requests exceeding €100,000.

For competitive LRC calls, all submitted projects undergo an extensive evaluation process involving independent external reviewers, whose assessments inform the funding decision.

The overall aim of the evaluation process is not only to select projects for support, but also to help investigators develop strong, feasible and collaborative research projects that contribute to the LRC’s mission and to the advancement of translational and clinical research in Luxembourg.