The European Pain Federation EFIC® and the pharmaceutical company Grünenthal have announced the three recipients of the EFIC-Grünenthal Grant (E-G-G). With a total value of €100,000, this biennial grant rewards innovative projects for human pain research and supports promising early-career researchers.
Pain is a significant healthcare problem. More than 1.5 billion individuals suffer from chronic pain – almost one in five people worldwide.1 Chronic Pain is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical help. It is also a frequent cause of people withdrawing from the labor market early and significantly contributing to disability retirement.2 It is associated with multiple conditions, and many patients struggle to find effective pain relief.
The E-G-G aims to raise awareness of unmet needs in pain management. It supports young scientists, helping them explore novel ideas for pain research projects. The grant consists of up to €50,000 per project. The independent EFIC® Research Committee, a multidisciplinary team of experts in the pain field, selects the recipients. Selection criteria include originality of the project and the potential clinical impact. In addition to financial support, the winners also have the opportunity to network with pain research experts and communicate their research outcome to the scientific community at the biennial EFIC® Pain in Europe Congress.
For nearly 20 years, the E-G-G grant has helped establish young scientists and clinicians as independent researchers in pain. “We received an impressive number of high-quality proposals for very innovative research. The process of reviewing each proposal was scientifically inspiring,” says Prof. André Mouraux, chair of EFIC® Grants and Prizes Working Group and one of the 2008 E-G-G winners.
“By investing in the next generation of researchers, we aim to ignite transformative breakthroughs that will shape the future of pain research”, says Jan Adams, Chief Scientific Officer of Grünenthal.”With this grant, we are not only providing financial support but also nurturing a spirit of innovation among young professionals, empowering them to pursue cutting-edge solutions that will revolutionize the way we understand and treat pain.”
The E-G-G winners 2023
E-G-G received 43 applications. In a two-step evaluation, seven selected reviewers and four members of the EFIC® Research Committee Working Group on Grants and Prizes selected five research projects for funding:
· Eleonora Maria Camerone, Italy Project title: Unveiling the Impact of Expectations on Chronic Pain: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study
· Lieve Filbrich, Belgium Project title: Multisensory interactions in pain: uncovering their effect on the motor system
· Sampuna Chakrabarti, Germany Project title: Phenotype-driven neuro-proteomics to identify clinically relevant pain targets
