Call for tenders: "Research and grafting" and "Human and social sciences

Each year, the agency launches two calls for tenders to fund studies and research projects. The "Research and Transplant" AOR concerns clinical and scientific projects, while the "Human and Social Sciences" AOR concerns projects in all human and social science disciplines applied to the Agency's areas of competence (including HSC donation and transplantation). These initiatives fall within the scope of the Agency's missions, as defined by the French bioethics laws, and are made possible by a budget voted by its Board of Directors. The research themes, defined on the advice of the Medical and Scientific Committee and the Orientation Council, cover essential issues for improving the quality, safety and access to transplants, as well as promoting innovation in the field of transplantation.

To participate, applicants must submit a complete file to the Agency before the deadline of the relevant call for tenders. The Agency examines the admissibility of the projects received. Each eligible application is assessed by one or two independent experts. Projects are ranked and discussed by the Agency's Medical and Scientific Committee for the "Research and Transplant" AOR, and by the SHS Scientific Council for the "Human and Social Sciences" AOR, which recommend the allocation of funding on the basis of quality and alignment with strategic priorities. Funds allocated to selected projects are paid out in two instalments, after signature of the agreement (70%) and receipt of the final report (30%).

Research and Transplantation

For the 2025 edition, the "Research and Transplant" call for tenders covers the following themes:

1. Evaluation and improvement of graft safety and quality, organ and tissue preservation and reconditioning (treatment during machine perfusion), donor care, biovigilance of transplants, including all emerging pathologies.
2. Public health, epidemiology, care pathways, access to transplantation, follow-up of transplant patients (including remote monitoring) and living donors.
3. Management strategies and innovative therapies related to transplantation (including pharmacology, perioperative practices, engineering and xenotransplantation).
4. Clinical immunology of transplantation, excluding animal studies.

N.B.: the numbers of these themes are those to be entered under the heading "tender theme number" in the administrative and financial summary sheets.

Humanities and social sciences

For the 2025 edition, the **"Humanities and Social Sciences" **call for proposals is open to all projects in the Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines applied to the Agency's fields of competence. Projects are to be submitted in the following themes:

1. Fundamental, conceptual, ethical and philosophical aspects.
2. Accessibility to care (geographical, territorial, economic, etc.), health policy, care pathways, social inequalities in health, vulnerability.
3. Innovations and new technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence, in vitro gametogenesis, embryo models, genomics, etc.).
4. Experiences and perceptions of patients and their families or caregivers
5. Social and cultural representations
6. Issues of communication, scientific dissemination, transparency and implementation

N.B.: the numbers of these themes are those to be indicated under the heading "tender theme number" in the administrative and financial summary sheets.

Projects involving cross-disciplinary, interdisciplinary and/or comparative approaches are strongly encouraged by the Agency.

The complete file should be sent by e-mail to the following address: AOR@biomedecine.fr

ATTENTION: The file for the "Research and Grafting" AOR must be sent before December 12, 2024 at 5pm.

The "Humanities and Social Sciences" AOR file must be sent in by 5pm on March 28, 2025.

Results will be available in May 2025 and July 2025.

Since 2006, the call for tenders has funded 65 CSH projects, including 2 in the human and social sciences, out of a total of 263 eligible applications. On average, the agency supports 3 "CSH" projects per year, with an annual budget of 24,800 euros per project. These research projects, which are generally completed within three years, contribute to significant advances in the field of organ and tissue donation and transplantation, and their results are valorized through scientific reports submitted to the agency.