Research Grants

Research Grants are open to all ESSM members who fulfill the eligibility criteria.

Application Admission is closed

Call for ESSM Research Grants 2023-2024

The European Society for Sexual Medicine is pleased to announce the 2023-2024 Research Grants call. These grants are intended to further research into any aspect of Sexual Medicine. All members of ESSM (providing that they meet the eligibility criteria) are welcome to apply for these grants.

This year ESSM will be looking for novel pre-clinical or clinical research in Sexual Medicine field.

The applicants should note the terms and conditions and application form. Any application which does not meet the term and conditions will not be reviewed.

Public announcement and presentation of awards: February 2024 at ESSM Congress in Bari (Italy).

ESSM Executive Committee will award up to 3 projects with a maximum of EUR 20,000 each for a maximum of 18 months project duration. For more details please see the terms and conditions.

How to apply?

Please send the completed and signed application form with accompanying documents in PDF format by 31 August 2023 to the ESSM Grant Subcommittee (essm.grants@gmail.com). Any application with missing signatures or documents will not be reviewed.

The applicants should pay attention to the eligible and ineligible costs in the terms and conditions while preparing their applications and encouraged to read the frequently asked questions at the end of this page.

Any questions?

Please check frequently asked questions at the end of this page before contacting the ESSM Grant Subcommittee (essm.grants@gmail.com).

31 Aug 2023

Deadline for applications

Nov 2023

Decision and notification

Feb 2024

Public announcement and presentation of awards

at ESSM Congress in Bari (Italy)

The applicants should pay attention to

Any application which does not meet the term and conditions will not be reviewed.

Q: I have a PhD student who I would like to support for 12 months. Can I use ESSM research grant for this purpose?
A: ESSM Research Grant can be used to cover part or full stipend of a PhD student; but can NOT be used for tuition (university) fees.

Q: What is ESSM looking for in the projects in this year’s round?
A: We are looking for ground breaking, ambitious pre-clinical or clinical research projects with a potential to open new research areas in sexual medicine field; addressing unmet need. These are the type of projects often considered as “high risk” and therefore are unlikely to attract funding from other conventional funding sources.

Q: I have received an ESSM Research Grant last year. Am I eligible to apply this year?
A: According to the new terms and conditions, an ESSM member who received an ESSM Research Grant in 2021-2022 round will NOT be eligible to apply this year.

Q: A colleague of mine from our department received an ESSM Research Grant last year. Am I eligible to apply this year?
A: According to our terms and conditions, a lead organisation which received an ESSM Research Grant in 2021-2022 round will NOT be eligible to apply this year.

Q: I am a clinician-scientist with a permanent contract with a hospital – university. Can we charge some of my time to the project?
A: Time of staff who have permanent contract is not an eligible cost. Please see terms and conditions for eligible and ineligible costs.

Q: For this project, we need to use a clinical research facility which charges a rent. Can this be charged to the ESSM Project?
A: Any rent of any facility is not an eligible cost. Please see terms and conditions for eligible and ineligible costs.

Q: Who is going to review and score the applications?
A: The applications will be reviewed and scored by preeminent scientists who are NOT members of ESSM and live and work outside Europe. The applications will be kept confidential. Please see terms and conditions for the review process.

Q: How does ESSM assure that the external reviewers will keep our proposals confidential?
A: All of our external reviewers have signed confidentiality agreements with ESSM.

Q: Do I have to present my findings to ESSM and publish my results in a specific journal?
A: The awardees are expected to present their findings at an ESSM congress and publish their results in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Please see terms and conditions for obligations of the awardees.

Q: I was an ESSM Member for 3 years 6 years ago. I would like to apply for ESSM Research Grant. If a restart my membership now, will I be eligible?
A: Members who have paid their fees regularly at least for the last two consecutive years are eligible to apply. We are afraid that you will not be eligible to apply this year even if you re-start your membership now.

Q: I became a member 8 years ago but did not pay my membership fees regularly. If I pay all of my due fees, can apply for a grant?
A: Members who have paid their fees regularly at least for the last two consecutive years are eligible to apply. We are afraid retrospective payment of fees is not permissible.

Q: How are the applications scored?
A: Each reviewer scores each project according to the questions shown below. Each question is worth 10 points; therefore the total is 100 points. The scores from the reviewers are then averaged. The applications with the highest average score are then proposed to the ESSM Executive Committee for funding.

  1. Is the science sound?
  2. Are the methods correct?
  3. Is the project feasible within the proposed time?
  4. Is the project feasible within the proposed budget?
  5. Is the proposal ambitious, novel and ground breaking?
  6. Is the proposal likely to open new avenues of research in sexual medicine field?
  7. Are all ethical and regulatory requirements met?
  8. Is the proposal likely to result in a publication at JSM?
  9. Does the research team have access to resources necessary to successfully complete the project?
  10. Does the proposal address an unmet medical need in the sexual medicine field which could change the life of our patients?

Please check frequently asked questions section before contacting the ESSM Grant Subcommittee (essm.grants@gmail.com).

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