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DKMS Impact Grant

DKMS Group

Grant for research or sustainable projects to physician scientists from non-profit institutions (including public hospitals) in Central and South America, Africa as well as South and South East Asia.

Limited resources do not mean limited potential. The DKMS Impact Grant recognizes outstanding research and transformative initiatives that improve access to treatment and hematology care where it is needed most.

Around the world, patients with malignant and non-malignant hematological diseases continue to face significant barriers to timely diagnosis, treatment, management of complications and supportive care. While advances in science have transformed outcomes for many patients, access to these innovations remains inequitable, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The DKMS Impact Grant was established to help bridge this gap in the following countries.

The DKMS Impact Grant reflects our commitment to improving access to treatment and hematological care worldwide. Through funding, mentorship, and access to international expertise, the DKMS Impact Grant helps emerging physicians and scientists transform promising research or sustainable project ideas into meaningful impact for patients and communities.

The grant is funded by the foundation DKMS Stiftung Leben Spenden and administered by the DKMS Group gGmbH.

The application period for the DKMS Impact Grant 2027 is now open!

Here you’ll find all important documents you need for your application.

The application process has two stages: projects are selected from promising Letters of Intent to be invited to submit a full application. Up to three projects will ultimately be funded.

Description of the grant

The DKMS Impact Grant awards up to €120,000 for a time period of two years (€60,000 annually), with the possibility of an extension of two additional years, subject to positive evaluation and reasonable progress. Grant funds may be used for personnel costs according to local salary standards, project implementation costs, consumables and infrastructure as well as communication and documentation-related expenses, publication costs, travel expenses, and other project-related expenditures necessary to achieve the proposed objectives (e.g. drugs or external diagnostic services). In addition, free-of-charge access to diagnostic services (e.g., HLA typing) as well as know-how of DKMS experts may be requested.

Scope of Impact projects

Projects should address issues to advance the understanding of and improve access to access to diagnosis, treatment, management of complications, and supportive care of malignant and non-malignant hematological diseases in the afore-mentioned countries. Projects can either focus on generating actionable knowledge (research projects) or on implementation, scalability, and sustainability aspects (sustainable projects).

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong alignment with DKMS research priorities (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

This is the most important predictor of success.

Competitive proposals should focus on:

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)
Cell therapy for hematological diseases
Transplant immunology
Donor selection
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
Stem cell transplantation complications
Cell manufacturing
Novel diagnostic strategies
Therapeutic strategies for blood cancers

Projects outside these areas are generally less competitive.

2. Innovation and scientific excellence (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

DKMS seeks innovative, high-impact research.

Competitive proposals should demonstrate:

Novel hypotheses
Original scientific concepts
Innovative technologies
New therapeutic approaches
Creative solutions to transplantation challenges

Research should have the potential to significantly advance transplantation and cell therapy.

3. Potential to improve stem cell transplantation and patient outcomes (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Successful projects should demonstrate potential to:

Improve transplant success
Reduce transplant complications
Enhance donor matching
Improve immune reconstitution
Reduce graft-versus-host disease
Improve survival and quality of life

Projects with clear clinical relevance receive strong consideration.

4. Rigorous methodology and feasibility (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Competitive applications include:

Clearly defined objectives
Robust experimental design
Appropriate statistical analysis
Realistic timelines
Feasible milestones
Reproducible methods

DKMS expects projects to demonstrate a high likelihood of successful completion over the three-year funding period.

5. Early-career investigator potential (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

A defining feature of the John Hansen Research Grant is its support for young investigators.

Eligible applicants generally:

Hold an MD, PhD, or equivalent
Completed their doctoral degree within the past 10 years (subject to funding guidelines)
May be fellows, postdoctoral researchers, or junior faculty
Do not need to hold a faculty appointment

The program is specifically designed to help promising investigators establish independent research careers.

6. Strong translational potential (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Competitive proposals should clearly bridge laboratory discoveries with clinical application, including:

Biomarker development
Immunotherapy
Precision transplantation
Cell manufacturing
Clinical implementation
New diagnostic or therapeutic strategies

Projects with a clear "bench-to-bedside" pathway are highly valued.

7. Investigator expertise and research environment (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Reviewers consider:

Applicant's publication record
Expertise in transplantation or immunology
Quality of mentorship (when applicable)
Institutional support
Research infrastructure

A strong scientific environment increases confidence in successful project execution.

8. Potential to advance the field of transplantation (High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

Competitive projects should:

Address major unanswered questions
Generate preliminary data
Influence future transplantation practice
Support future multicenter studies
Enable larger national or international grants

Research that opens new directions in transplantation science is particularly competitive.

9. International relevance and collaboration (High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

DKMS welcomes applications from researchers worldwide.

Competitive proposals often include:

International collaborations
Multidisciplinary expertise
Cross-institutional partnerships
Global applicability of findings

Because DKMS operates internationally, research with broad clinical relevance is advantageous.

10. Well-justified budget and compliance with grant requirements (High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

Successful applications provide:

Appropriate budget justification
Realistic resource allocation
Complete documentation
Compliance with eligibility criteria
Timely submission

Applications that fully meet the published funding guidelines are more likely to progress successfully through review.

Specialties

Hematology

Eligibility Requirements

The DKMS Impact Grant is aimed at physicians in an early stage of their scientific career. Applicants must have received a medical degree within the last 15 years (after July 2011). Applicants whose careers have been interrupted after receiving a medical degree, may request an extension of the degree requirement insofar as the interruption occurred for example to one of the following reasons: family care responsibilities, applicant’s disability or illness, active duty community service. They must have professional experience in hematology/oncology for at least three years as well as experience in science or a strong project development background. Applicants must be affiliated with a local faculty or have a qualified academic supervisor. The host institution of the applicant must be non-profit (including public hospitals) and localized in one of the above highlighted countries and must guarantee the employment of the applicant for at least two years from begin of funding in July 2027.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: DKMS Group

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: Kressbach 1, 72072 Tübingen

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