We would like to inform you about the new FWO-TBM call, which will be launched in February 2026. The deadline for submissions is 23 April 2026.
The TBM programme offers funding for applied biomedical research with a societal purpose. It focuses on projects with clear societal applicability in Flanders, including new therapies, diagnostic techniques and/or prevention methods that are already well advanced in the process from discovery to clinical application. It is important to note that there should be no industrial interest at the time of submission or in the near future. More information is available on the FWO website.
Support from HIRUZ-IVU (UZ Gent) and the UD1 Education and Research department (UGent) via an online intake interview on Wednesday 3 December 2025 together with the FWO-TBM advisers and HIRUZ-IVU. During this interview, we will assess whether your project meets the four core criteria of the TBM programme.
If you wish to participate:
- Answer the four questions (see below) and send them by email to HIRUZ.IVU@uzgent.be by 26 November 2025 at the latest.
- Upon receipt, the exact time of your meeting will be communicated.
If 3 December is not feasible, a digital consultation with FWO can be scheduled at another time.
Please note that participation in the TBM programme requires institutional submission. This means that mandatory registration with HIRUZ and/or Ghent University Education and Research is required. The internal submission deadline will be announced at a later date.
We hope this information is helpful and look forward to receiving your application.
Kind regards,
The HIRUZ-IVU team
REGISTRATION FOR INTAKE INTERVIEW (to be submitted on 26 November 2025)
Please provide an abstract of the proposed research and answer the four questions below:
- A TBM project aims at the development of a new therapy, diagnosis and/or specific prevention of a particular human disease or medical issue or a comparison of existing therapies, diagnostics or preventive methods in order to find out their relative efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Please indicate which of the above apply to your proposal.
- A TBM project is directed at research that is positioned late in the path from discovery to a specific application (i.e. there is a clinically relevant proof of concept; see https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/proof-of-concept/19909 for examples) and aims at translating and developing scientific findings into clinical applications rather than creating knowledge from scratch. On the other hand, it is not positioned too late in the path from discovery to application: it does not consist of implementation activities that no longer require any research. Please indicate the proof of concept for the study you propose.
- A TBM project offers a clear applicability with an added value for the Flemish health situation, including at least a positive medical impact for a particular group of patients or a cost reduction for the Flemish healthcare system. Indicate what will be the medical impact for the individual patient or provide a substantiated estimate of the expected cost reduction.
- Please substantiate why at the time of submitting the application (or in the near future), the industry is not interested in the TBM project for commercial reasons. Note that lack of industrial interest due to the early stage of the research (limited proof of concept, high scientific risk) is not a valid argument here.