Individual Research Grants 2027 (Fungal / Parasitic/Viral Infections)

Funder: European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID)

The Individual Research Grants 2026, offered by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), provide up to 20K EUR for research on bacterial infections and related diseases. These grants support both emerging researchers and established professionals, with a focus on translational research. Eligible applicants must hold a medical degree or a PhD and must have institutional backing. The program aims to advance knowledge in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases.

ESCMID Research Grants help nurture the next generation of researchers in CM and ID, by providing an important start in their research funding journey. These grants offer a unique opportunity to explore bacterial infections & diseases or fungal/viral/parasitic infections & diseases in alternating years.
Funding and payment
ESCMID’s research grants offer up to 20K EUR per project. The grant can be used for the entirety or specific aspects of your project. Upon the signing of the grant agreement, 50% of the allocated funds are issued to the grantee’s institution, with the remaining 50% released upon the submission and approval of the final reports (refer to reporting below for more details). ESCMID also reserves up to 50K EUR each for two exceptional projects. Recognised by esteemed reviewers for their outstanding potential, selected projects have the possibility to receive this additional funding to drive their topics further.

Eligibility

Applicants must:Be principal investigators of the proposed research.Have a medical degree (MD, MBBS, PharmD or equivalent), a PhD or be enrolled in a PhD programme.Applicants who have received an ESCMID Research Grant before may only apply for a subsequent grant in the year after official completion of the first project.The research project may consist of laboratory investigations, clinical studies, experimental animal studies, or a combination of these.Research projects usually run for 12 months (and may continue for a maximum of 24 months) and must start during the year the grant is received.Researchers need to have the backing of an institution for their project to apply.Applications are also accepted from private / profit-oriented hospitals.
You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. Applicants must have a valid ESCMID Young Scientist Membership or a valid ESCMID LMIC Membership. ESCMID LMIC members are eligible to apply as long as they are still in training or completing their training (PhD with no longer than eight years post-graduation / MD or MD/PhD with no longer than five years from completion of clinical training/speciality).

Ineligibility

Members of the ESCMID Executive Committee cannot apply for Research Grants nor submit a support letter for an application.Applications are not accepted from companies / start-up research firms.