Despite huge progress in medicine over the last years, infectious diseases are still a serious threat. This can be attributed for example to the development of bacterial resistancies to anti-infective drugs and the spread of pathogenic microorganisms through global travel. It is hoped that the funding of genome-based research projects on pathogenic microorganisms (“pathogenomics”) will contribute to counteracting this danger.

The BMBF intends to fund transnational collaborative projects characterized by a high degree of division of labour, innovation and scientific and technical risk. Eligible projects must focus on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of diseases caused by bacteria and fungi that are pathogenic for human beings. Potential topics could be the development of new methods for the prevention of infectious diseases and secondary pathologies as well as the development of new tools or strategies for the diagnosis of infections. The projects need to have a genome-based approach. Moreover, the projects have to involve close partnerships between academic and clinical and/or industrial partners.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research has commissioned its Project Management Organisation Jülich (PtJ) to coordinate the funding measure. The selection and decision process consists of four phases. In the first phase, preproposals have to be sent in both paper and electronic form to PtJ in accordance with the coordinator of the project. The deadline for submissions is 29th February 2008.

Source: BMBF - 11.01.2008

Further information:
Project Management Organisation Jülich (PtJ)
Biology Division
Research Centre Jülich GmbH
D-52425 Jülich
Tel.: +49 (0)2461/61 6245
Fax.: +49 (0)2461/61 8666

Contact:
Dr. Marion Karrasch-Bott
Tel.: +49 (0)2461/61 6245,
E-mail: m.karrasch@fz-juelich.de
Dr. Miriam Brandt
Tel.: +49 (0)2461/61 2723
E-mail: mi.brandt@fz-juelich.de