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ECCO-IBUS Intestinal Ultrasound Research Grant

International Bowel Ultrasound Group

The International Bowel Ultrasound Group (IBUS) and the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization (ECCO) invite all interested member investigators to submit clinical research proposals on intestinal ultrasound to be considered for funding support.

The grant aims to support research on the utility of intestinal ultrasound in the assessment of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Awardees will be selected based on scientific merit, feasibility and importance of the scientific contribution.

The total research grant award is 40.000 EUR. To be considered, applicants must be established within clinical units with expertise in inflammatory bowel disease and in the performance of intestinal ultrasound. Additionally, applicants must be IBUS and ECCO members at the time of submission and have routine access to an ultrasound machine.

KEY DATES

March 1st, 2026	Submissions open. Please submit your application via the form below
October 31st, 2026	Application deadline
Early 2027	Successful grant funding announcement, notification will be sent to all applicants
March 2027	Official announcement of awardee during the IBUS Members’ Meeting and the ECCO Award Ceremony at the ECCO congress in Copenhagen, Denmark

Terms of Submission

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A total of 40.000 EUR will be awarded every year for the ECCO-IBUS Research Grant.
The duration of the ECCO-IBUS Research Grant is 2 years.
Only one proposal may be submitted per applicant/department by the submission date.
Members of the ECCO and IBUS Governing Board and Scientific Committees are excluded from applying for the IBUS-ECCO Research Grant.
Grantees must report their progress to the IBUS Scientific Committee Chair using a predefined template by the end of the first year. The awardee must submit a final scientific report using a predefined template to the IBUS and ECCO Scientific Committee within 2 years.
The grant will be paid within two months after the nomination. If bank details are not provided to IBUS within that timeframe, the grant may become void.
All publications that result from research funded or partly funded by the ECCO-IBUS Research Grant must acknowledge this funding.
Results must be presented at the IBUS general assembly, or at an IBUS webinar, within 2 years after the grant was awarded.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Direct relevance to bladder cancer / upper tract urothelial carcinoma ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the most important predictor.

Competitive proposals should directly address:

Bladder cancer
Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC)
Bladder cancer prevention
Early detection and diagnosis
Disease progression
Treatment
Recurrence
Metastasis
Survivorship
Patient-centered bladder cancer care

BCAN explicitly requires relevant research to have direct applicability to bladder cancer and/or UTUC for its major research awards.

2. Innovation and high-risk/high-reward potential ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a defining BCAN priority.

The Research Innovation Award specifically supports exceptionally novel, high-risk, high-reward projects rather than incremental research. Eligible proposals must introduce innovative approaches, such as:

Novel theoretical concepts
New methodologies
New technologies/instrumentation
Innovative interventions
New therapeutic strategies

The project should address an important problem or critical barrier and a significant knowledge gap in bladder cancer research.

3. Potential to produce meaningful patient benefit ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Strong proposals should clearly explain how the research could ultimately:

Improve prevention
Enable earlier diagnosis
Improve treatment
Reduce recurrence
Improve survival
Reduce treatment burden
Improve quality of life
Improve the experience of patients and families

BCAN describes its overall goal as supporting research that improves understanding of bladder cancer and delivers better outcomes for patients and their loved ones.

4. Strong scientific merit and research quality ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Competitive applications should demonstrate:

A clearly defined research question
Strong scientific rationale
Appropriate hypotheses
Rigorous methodology
Appropriate statistical analysis
Feasible research design
Meaningful expected outcomes

BCAN uses scientific review groups consisting of medical and scientific experts with relevant research accomplishments.

5. Strong translational potential ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

BCAN particularly values research capable of moving discoveries toward clinical application.

This is especially important for the Career Development Award, which requires projects to demonstrate the likelihood of translating new concepts into clinical practice.

Competitive projects may involve:

Biomarkers
Precision medicine
New therapeutics
Diagnostic technologies
Clinical trials
Treatment-response prediction
Molecular profiling
New surgical or therapeutic approaches

6. Early-career investigator potential ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

BCAN has a strong commitment to developing the next generation of bladder cancer researchers.

Its Young Investigator Awards support promising early-career scientists and clinical researchers, while the Career Development Award is specifically designed to help junior investigators establish independent bladder cancer research programs.

For these awards, competitive applicants should demonstrate:

Research potential
Commitment to bladder cancer research
Career independence
Strong scientific training
A clear long-term research direction

7. Patient-centered research and health equity ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is particularly important for the Patient-Centered Clinical Research Award.

Competitive projects may address:

Shared decision-making
Access to care
Quality of care
Quality of life
Health disparities
Comparative effectiveness
Patient-reported outcomes
Survivorship

BCAN also provides mechanisms for researchers to work directly with trained patient research partners through its Patient Survey Network.

8. Strong investigator capability and research environment ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reviewers need confidence that the investigator can execute the project.

Important factors include:

Relevant research expertise
Previous research accomplishments
Publications
Clinical or scientific expertise
Appropriate institutional infrastructure
Qualified collaborators
A research environment capable of supporting transformational bladder cancer research

For the Young Investigator Award, BCAN specifically requires a mentor and a research environment capable of supporting transformational bladder cancer research.

9. Collaboration and multidisciplinary expertise ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

BCAN encourages collaboration across disciplines.

Strong teams may include:

Urologists
Medical oncologists
Radiation oncologists
Pathologists
Molecular biologists
Bioengineers
Epidemiologists
Data scientists
Patient partners
Health-services researchers

BCAN's Patient-Centered Clinical Research Award guidelines specifically indicate that cross-disciplinary teams and teams including Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) may receive favorable review.

10. Clear pathway toward future funding and career development ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

BCAN research awards are intended not only to generate results but also to build sustainable research careers.

A successful project should ideally:

Generate preliminary data
Lead to larger NIH or other grants
Establish investigator independence
Create new collaborations
Produce publications
Advance the investigator's bladder cancer research program

BCAN reports that more than one-third of its grantees have subsequently secured additional funding, launched collaborations, or presented findings as a direct result of BCAN support.

Specialties

Gastroenterology

Radiology

Eligibility Requirements

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: International Bowel Ultrasound Group

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: International Bowel Ultrasound Group, Münster/Erlangen

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