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ECTS-Kyowa Kirin Maria Luisa Bianchi Award

European Calcified Tissue Society

In memory of Professor Maria Luisa Bianchi, who sadly passed away in 2020, ECTS would like to remember and honour Maria Luisa during its annual congress by introducing an annual Maria Luisa Bianchi Clinical Research Award on Rare Bone Diseases. This award is supported by Kyowa Kirin International.

The recipient of this award will give a lecture at the annual meeting and receive a grant of 10,000€ to be paid into the recipient’s institution or university account to contribute to specific research expenses.

About Maria Luisa Bianchi

Maria Luisa was an internationally recognised expert in the field of paediatric and rare bone diseases, who was actively involved in research, education and patient care. Her clinical research activities focused on paediatric metabolic bone diseases, endocrinology and steroid treatment side effects. She developed studies on cystic fibrosis, Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, glycogen storage disease type 1, celiac disease and more. She was an active and regular contributor to the ECTS congress for many years, member of the ECTS Board of Directors and member of the ECTS Rare Disease Action Group.

Nomination Procedure

Nominations are open till 15 December 2025

Nominees must be nominated and seconded by ECTS members, using the online form.

Review Procedure

All nominations are reviewed by an independent panel of reviewers. The final decision is based on the marks and comments from the reviewers and any conflicts of interest are identified and dealt with appropriately. The ECTS Grants and Awards Committee and ECTS Board will make the final decision based on scores and comments by the reviewers.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong Relevance to Bone / Mineral / Calcified Tissue Biology or Disease

Projects should address topics like bone metabolism, mineral homeostasis, osteoporosis, rare bone diseases, mineralization disorders, skeletal cell biology, bone remodeling, etc.

Both basic science (mechanistic, physiology, cell biology) and clinical/ translational bone research (bone disease, fracture risk, metabolic bone disease) fall within ECTS’s remit.

For clinical research awards, focus on diseases and conditions affecting bone health (e.g. osteoporosis, metabolic bone disease, rare skeletal disorders).

Predictor: The tighter your proposal maps to bone / calcified tissue science or disease, the higher its priority.

2. Fit to the Appropriate ECTS Funding Mechanism

ECTS provides a spectrum of opportunities depending on the applicant’s career stage and project type:

Mechanism / Award Type	Best Use / What It Supports
Fellowships / Clinical or Basic-Translational Fellowships	For early career researchers, postdocs, or new investigators wanting to start or expand bone-related research.
Clinical Research Awards / Clinical-Translational Awards	For well-designed clinical studies examining bone disease, metabolism, fractures, rare bone conditions, etc.
New Investigator / Emerging Researcher / Young Investigator Awards (often tied to high-scoring abstracts at the ECTS Congress)	For early-career scientists/physicians with fresh ideas and initial data — helps launch independent bone research careers.
Small Grants / Vouchers / Travel Awards / Abstract-linked Awards	Useful for pilot studies, generating preliminary data, or enabling presentation & networking — often stepping stones to larger grants.

Predictor: Submit under the mechanism that matches your career stage + project maturity + budget size — well-matched proposals tend to get better evaluation.

3. Scientific Rigor + Clear, Hypothesis-Driven Aims + Feasible Design

Proposals should have well-defined hypotheses or research questions grounded in bone biology.

Aims should be focused and realistic given the scope/funding (especially in fellowships or small grants).

Methodology must be rigorous — appropriate models (animal, cell culture, clinical cohorts), controls, statistical/analytical plans.

For clinical projects, you need clear patient population, eligibility criteria, ethical oversight, endpoints relevant to bone health (BMD, fracture risk, biomarkers, histomorphometry, mineral metabolism, clinical outcomes, etc.).

Predictor: Well-structured, methodologically sound, with clearly deliverable aims → high feasibility score.

4. Relevance & Potential Impact on Bone Disease, Clinical Care, or Understanding of Skeletal Biology

For basic research: novel insights into bone formation, resorption, mineralization, bone-cell signaling, metabolic regulation, rare bone disorders, etc.

For clinical/translational research: improved diagnostics, better fracture risk stratification, therapeutic evaluation, management of metabolic bone disease, rare bone disease clinical data or natural history, public health relevance.

Projects that could translate into improved care, better understanding of disease mechanisms, or influence of guidelines are valued.

Predictor: The stronger and more explicit the clinical/disease relevance or long-term impact, the better the proposal is viewed.

5. Evidence of Preliminary Data or Feasibility (Especially for Larger Grants / Clinical Projects / Fellowship Applications)

While early-stage grants may accept pilot or exploratory proposals, having supporting data (e.g., pilot experiments in animals or cells, preliminary clinical data, feasibility of sample collection) significantly boosts confidence.

Demonstrating access to required infrastructure — lab facilities, patient cohorts, imaging or histology cores, biobanking — matters.

Predictor: Preliminary data or a credible feasibility plan strongly improves competitiveness.

6. Strong Investigator/Team & Institutional Support

For fellowships or new investigator grants: evidence that PI (or mentor) has relevant expertise, track record, and institutional backing.

For clinical/translational proposals: collaboration across specialties (endocrinology, orthopedics, rheumatology, radiology, pathology), supportive environment, access to patients — necessary for delivery and quality.

For multi-centre or collaborative projects: inclusion of complementary expertise (basic science + clinical + biostatistics / imaging / bone densitometry / pathology).

Predictor: Experienced, well-supported teams with relevant mix of skills and infrastructure tend to have better odds.

7. Clear, Realistic Budget & Proper Use of Funds

Grant applications should include a detailed, justifiable budget: personnel, reagents, animal costs, imaging/analysis, patient visits, etc.

Avoid over-scoping. Match the budget to the aims realistically — especially for fellowship or small grants.

Indicate in-kind institutional support if available (e.g., lab space, core facility usage) to boost cost-effectiveness.

Predictor: A lean, well-justified budget tied tightly to aims indicates efficient use of resources and is viewed favorably.

8. For Young Investigators — Clear Career Development Plan + Feasibility of Independence

If you apply as an early-career researcher or for a Fellowship / New Investigator grant, reviewers expect:

A structured plan for developing independent research capability, training, mentorship, and career trajectory.

Evidence that the applicant (or mentor) is committed to bone research, and that the project could lead to larger, sustained work.

Predictor: Clear path to independence and long-term commitment to calcified tissue research strengthens competitiveness.

9. Engagement with the Bone Research Community — Networking, Collaboration, Dissemination

ECTS is more than a funder: it organizes annual congresses, training courses, workshops, and supports collaborations across Europe.

Proposals that plan to disseminate data (publications, conference presentations), collaborate regionally or internationally, or build tools/ methods accessible to others are often viewed more favorably.

Predictor: Community-oriented proposals with potential for collaboration and dissemination score better.

🎯 What This Means If You Plan to Apply to ECTS

If you’re writing a grant proposal for ECTS, you should aim to:

Ensure your research question is core to bone/mineral or calcified tissue biology or disease.

Choose the grant type that matches your stage (fellowship, new investigator, clinical project, etc.).

Build a hypothesis-driven study with 2–3 focused aims, and realistic timeline & deliverables.

Use appropriate models or clinical/population data, with rigorous methodology.

Provide either preliminary data (ideal) or a very credible feasibility plan.

Assemble a team with expertise + institutional support + access to patients or lab/infrastructure.

Draft a realistic, justified budget aligned with scope and resources.

If early career — outline a career development plan / mentorship / training to show your long-term commitment.

Plan for dissemination, collaboration, and building research community value.

Write clearly, follow ECTS application guidelines, and highlight clinical or translational significance if relevant.

Specialties

Cancer

Clinical Trials

Eligibility Requirements

This award is open to medical doctors who have made significant progress and contribution to the field of clinical rare bone disease research.

ECTS Board members are not eligible to this award during term of office in the ECTS Board.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: European Calcified Tissue Society

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: Maison des Associations Internationales Rue Washington 40 1050 Brussels – Belgium

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