Grants programme for scientific research

Yes. An application may include two Principal Investigators, with one designated as PI (Principal Investigator) and the other as co-PI (co-Principal Investigator). However, there is a functional and practical distinction between the two. The PI listed first in the application will be the person the Bial Foundation will always be in touch with and the one who will sign the Research Funding Agreement, together with the Host Entity, if the application is approved for funding. The PI will also be responsible for informing the other team members and for obtaining the authorisations
and approvals necessary to implement the provisions set out in the Regulation. The second researcher may be designated as co-PI. Having a co-PI is always optional and not mandatory. Attachment 4 of the online application
applies exclusively to the PI.

Yes. In such cases, that institution must be identified in the application as a Participating Institution. The declaration of support for the project from the Participating Institution is optional.
For clarification, the Host Entity indicated in the application is responsible for coordinating and ensuring the execution of the Research Project.

Yes. Nevertheless, if the submitted project is approved for funding, it may only start after the successful completion of the ongoing project, whether under the Grants or the Maria de Sousa Award, for which the PI or co-PI is responsible. This requirement does not apply to team members who are not the PI or co-PI of the Research Project(s) concerned. Furthermore, according to the Regulation of Grants, a new project may only be supported if the ongoing project is concluded before October 2027.

The Bial Foundation assesses and supports scientific research projects. These projects may be carried out within the scope of a master's or PhD, provided they comply with the provisions of the Regulation of Grants. However, tuition fees are not considered eligible expenses, and only the specific schedule of the research project will be considered. Applicants and Grant Holders must always ensure compliance with applicable legal requirements and the internal rules of the institutions where the projects are developed, including those related to master’s or PhD programmes.

No. The application must include a Host Entity that commits to supporting the development of the project on its premises. This Host Entity must provide the technical and logistical resources necessary for the execution of the project, ensuring appropriate conditions for its implementation. If the project is approved, the Host Entity will be a contracting party, will sign the Research Funding Agreement, and will receive the funding. Therefore, applicants must take this requirement into account beforehand and ensure that the Host Entity agrees with the provisions applicable to it.

No. Grant payments will be made by bank transfer solely and exclusively to the Host Entity's bank account.

No. The PI does not need to have an employment relationship with the Host Entity, provided that the latter agrees that the Research Project will be carried out as described in the Application and commits to monitoring and supervising its implementation, if it is approved for funding (Attachment 3 of the application form), in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation.

In the editable fields of the form, only text may be entered. Nevertheless, if you find it necessary to include figures, images, or graphs for the Scientific Board’s appraisal, you may upload them in the section “ATTACHMENTS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT APPLICATION – 7. Other attached documents (optional)”. Each file cannot exceed 5MB. You should draw the attention of the Scientific Board to the attached files in the section “Research Plan and Methods”.

You must specify the estimated number of publications and scientific dissemination activities you expect to achieve within the scope of the Research Project during its execution period. Be optimistic, but also realistic about your expectations. If the research project is approved for funding, you must ensure that the team is able to carry out the project as described in the application and achieve all the expected outputs.

Funding may be used to cover the following expenses:

a) Human resources - Remuneration of research team members, including the PI. The remuneration can cover taxes, compulsory social security contributions, voluntary social insurance, and work accident insurance. Meal allowances, holiday and Christmas bonuses, or other similar benefits are not eligible.
b) Missions (maximum 10% of the total requested funding) - Expenses related to participation in conferences, fieldwork trips, meetings, and visits within the scope of the project. E.g., travel expenses, registration fees, daily allowances, and accommodation.
c) Consultants - Expenses related to external experts providing support to the project, including travel, accommodation, meals, and remuneration for consultancy work carried out within the scope of the project.
d) Acquisition of goods and services – Expenses, properly supported by invoice/receipt, related to the purchase of goods or services necessary for the execution of the project. This includes services provided by external collaborators, consumables, and payments for the use of eligible neuroimaging equipment. It also covers compensation for study participants and travel expenses associated with their participation.
e) Other costs - Expenses not covered by the preceding categories, such as publication fees, organisation of workshops, conferences, etc.
f) Equipment (maximum 50% of the total requested funding) - Expenses related to the purchase or rental of software, instruments, and equipment, provided they are directly and unequivocally used in the project and remain assigned to it throughout its execution period. However, hardware expenses are not accepted, including, among others, desktop and laptop computers, peripherals (mice, keyboards, headsets, USB flash drives, monitors, printers, scanners, etc.), tablets, and mobile phones.

No. All planned expenses must be incurred and paid during the project’s execution period.

No. Overheads/indirect costs, as well as payments for the use of spaces or equipment belonging to the Host Entity or the Research Centre where the project will be carried out, are not eligible and will therefore not be accepted, except for costs associated with the use of neuroimaging equipment, namely: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), computed tomography (CT), magnetoencephalography (MEG), positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and functional near-infrared
spectroscopy (fNIRS).

No.

No. The total requested funding should be distributed smoothly and equitably throughout the project’s duration. At least 3 instalments should be planned, and the final payment (made after approval of the final report and fulfilment of all requirements) cannot be less than 10% of the total amount.

The Bial Foundation reserves the right to adjust the total requested funding based on the review process.

There is no specific template, nor are there any guidelines regarding the content of the CV. However, the CV must be written in English and be no longer than 4 pages. A CV including all the information considered relevant for the Scientific Board’s appraisal must be uploaded for each team member.

No. However, the declaration should clearly express the Host Entity’s commitment to support the development of the project on its premises, providing the technical and logistical support required to perform the Research Project if it is approved for funding. This declaration must mention the project title and be signed by the Dean/Head/Director of the University/Institution (Host Entity) or by the Director of the Department/Laboratory/Research Centre of the Host Entity. When the PI or co-PI is simultaneously the Director of the Department/Laboratory/Research Centre, the declaration should, whenever possible, be signed by another representative of the Host Entity.

Yes. Whenever the Research Project involves animals, human subjects, biological material, sensitive data, and/or other specificities that legally or ethically require it, proof of submission to the competent Ethics Committee(s) must be provided when applying to the Bial Foundation. Subject to case-by-case verification, the following documents may be accepted as proof: an official letter from the Ethics Committee acknowledging receipt of the submission; an automatic confirmation email; a screenshot of the submission platform; a completed submission form with date and entity identification; an institutional statement confirming that the project has been submitted for ethical review; or other equivalent documents that, according to the procedures of the Ethics Committee involved, confirm that the Research Project has been submitted. Afterwards, if the Research Project is approved for
funding, proof of ethics approval must be uploaded before the Bial Foundation issues the Research Funding Agreement.

You must upload the original document. However, if the document is not in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, or Italian, it must be accompanied by a translation into English and a declaration under honour by the PI confirming that the translation faithfully corresponds to the original document. The same procedure shall be followed for the positive opinion of the Ethics Committee(s) in case the Research Project is approved for funding.
The acceptance of documents in the aforementioned languages does not preclude the Bial Foundation from requesting additional information or a certified translation of the submitted documents, if necessary.

Even when an exemption is presumed, the competent Ethics Committee must be formally consulted to confirm this condition. The decision rests exclusively with the Committee, which acts independently and with technical competence, and never with the researcher.
Whenever different institutions are actively involved in data collection or in the execution of the project, it must be submitted to the Ethics Committees of each institution. Each institution has autonomy to assess the ethical aspects of the research carried out under its responsibility and may have specific requirements that must be respected. However, in cases of inter-institutional agreements or formal consortia, a single opinion issued by the coordinating institution may be accepted, provided it is recognised by the others.
Whenever data collection takes place in more than one country, the project must be submitted to the competent Ethics Committees in each country/territory. The same applies in cases where data collection is exclusively online but carried out by researchers located in different countries. Even if the project has central coordination, there may be specific ethical and legal obligations in each country where the researchers are based.
In cases where data collection is exclusively online and carried out by researchers from the same institution, the project must be submitted to the Ethics Committee of the responsible institution. It must also comply with international ethical principles, ensure digital informed consent, and respect applicable data protection laws.

No. The Bial Foundation only accepts applications submitted through its Bial Foundation Grants Management System (BF-GMS) by the deadline - 31 August 2026, 23:59 (GMT+1). Applications submitted in any other format or by any other means will not be accepted. We strongly recommend submitting your application as early as possible to avoid last-minute technical issues.

After the submission deadline (31 August 2026), no changes can be made. However, until the deadline, you may request the Bial Foundation to set your application to “Draft” status, allowing you to make the necessary corrections and resubmit it before the deadline. Under no circumstances will the Bial Foundation make changes or upload documents on your behalf.

All applicants will be notified by email of the outcome of their application within 4 months after the end of the submission period.

No. The Bial Foundation works diligently to ensure that all applications are carefully reviewed and that all researchers are treated equally and fairly. Therefore, the decision not to fund a project is final and cannot be appealed.

Note: These Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are for information purposes only. In the event of any doubt or discrepancy between the content of these FAQs and the provisions of the Research Funding Agreement (where applicable), the Regulation and the Announcement, the latter shall always prevail in the order indicated here.