1. Introduction
These terms and conditions (the "T&Cs") are intended to govern the operation of the Renate & Hans Schleussner Award organized by Biotest AG, a company duly incorporated under German law, with the headquarters at Landsteinerstraße 5, 63303 Dreieich, Germany ("Biotest").
The Renate & Hans Schleussner Award aims to identify, promote and support the realization of innovative clinical and scientific work that offers a greater insight into immunological effects of polyvalent immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM).
The Renate & Hans Schleussner Award will be assigned for a clinical or preclinical project and is endowed with € 50,000.
These T&Cs are available for consultation on www.biotest.com (the "Website").
2. Participants
Participation in the Renate & Hans Schleussner Award is voluntary and free of charge.
The Participants in the Renate & Hans Schleussner Award may present their proposal individually or as a part of a team. Both individual participants and team participants are jointly referred to as the "Participants".
Participants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- present an original research contribution to basic or clinical research for immunological effects of polyvalent immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM) that fulfills the requirements set out in Section 4.1.
- be a scientist or clinician conducting research at a hospital, university or independent institution
- be employed or supported by a hospital, university or independent institution (the "Institution"), and
- sign a contract with the Institution and Biotest (the "Contract") if he/she becomes a selected awardee (as such term is defined below).
None of Biotest' and/or its group companies' employees or any relative up to the second degree of kinship of the persons directly involved in the management of Biotest' scientific awards or in the awardee selection process shall be eligible to participate in the Renate & Hans Schleussner Award.
Unless specifically noted in these T&Cs, Biotest will in no case bear any costs and/or expenses incurred by participants as a result of their participation in the Renate & Hans Schleußner Award.
Submissions from awardees of previous editions of the Renate & Hans Schleussner Award will not be accepted.
3. Period of participation and timeline
The period of participation for the Renate & Hans Schleussner Award will commence in August and will finish in the next year at June. For further details, see the Application steps.
4. Award details
Applicants (either individual Participants or the Participant in a team designated to present the proposal) should submit a cover letter, complete the Project Concept (PC) and submit it, together with a short curriculum vitae of all Participants and a protocol summary of the research project (as such term is defined below) according to the terms mentioned in Section 3.
After the deadline for submission of the Project Concept, an independent jury composed of external scientists (e.g. immunologists) and Biotest scientists, whose identity will be published on the Website (the "Jury"), will select a maximum of four (4) research project proposals that best match the requirements described in Section 4.1, taking into consideration the appraisal criteria described in Section 4.2.
The Participants shortlisted by the Jury will be invited to submit a complete research project proposal, following the requirements set forth in Section 4.1.
The participant whose research project (basic research project or clinical research project) is awarded (the "Awardee") will be announced on the website with the name, last name, job position, designation of workplace, and a brief description of the research project.
The awardee is required to attend the award ceremony in order to receive the award. All costs and/or expenses associated with the awardee's participation in the Award Ceremony will be borne by Biotest. If the awardee or the awardee’s institutions have already made the payment, they will be reimbursed by Biotest after Biotest will receive evidence of the costs and/or expenses incurred in any case subject according to local laws and regulations.
Participants must provide all information requested as part of the selection process in English using the form or documents provided by Biotest, when they are made available.
4.1 Requirements of the Research Projects
Participants must present an innovative basic or clinical research project regarding immunological effects of polyvalent immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM), which meet the following requirements (the "Research Project"):
(a) Goals should be achieved within a maximum of twenty four (24) months from the award assignment, when the participants is selected as awardee.
(b) The research projects should be related to the immunological effects of polyvalent immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM).
(c) Studies sponsored by industry are excluded.
(d) Basic research projects may include preclinical animal studies as well as in vitro studies.
(e) Clinical research projects may include any studies requiring patient informed consent, including treatment of patients and/or use of patient samples (e.g. for biomarker analysis, genotyping and diagnostics).
(f) In no case, submitted research projects shall include any information or data, which directly or indirectly allows the identification of patients and/or any other individuals who are not members of the participant's team and/or the institution
(g) The awardee agrees to submit an interim study report to Biotest after half-time and a full report (the "Final Report") after completion of the research project.
4.2 Appraisal criteria
The research projects will be assessed by the jury taking into account the following criteria:
(a) Scientific merit, which will take into account (i) the validity of the rationale and/or proposed methodology, (ii) the validity of the expected outcomes, (iii) the validity of the proposed timelines, and (iv) the feasibility of completing the proposed research within a maximum term of twenty four (24) months from the award assignment, in case the participants become selected as awardee (max. 2 points).
(b) Innovation of the research project in design, methodology and objectives (max. 2 points).
(c) Clinical/medical impact, which will take into account (i) the contribution of the research project results to clinical and scientific understanding, and (ii) the relevance of the research project in the respective treatment community (max. 2 points).
(d) Mentor and research environment, which will take into account (i) mentor's research focus, clinical/scientific expertise and experience, (ii) qualification of the participants, and (iii) expertise in the academic research environment (max. 2 points).
5. Award
The selected research project will be awarded with an amount of Euro 50, 000 (the "Award"). The payment will be made by Biotest to the awarded institution according to the following schedule and mode:
35 % (gross amount) within thirty (30) days of receipt of the corresponding invoice issued by the Institution upon conclusion of the contract.
35 % within thirty (30) days of after receipt of the interim report or documentation of the agreed milestone at Biotest together with the corresponding invoice issued by the institution.
30 % within thirty (30) days of receipt by Biotest of the Final Report, together with the corresponding invoice issued by the institution.
The awardee acknowledges that Biotest will not transfer any payment of the award directly to him/her.
6. Representations and Warranties. Intellectual and Industrial Property
The participants represent and warrant that (a) they are the scientists or clinician responsible for the submitted research project, (b) any submitted documents and/or information provided are accurate and updated, (c) the research project is an original creation, (d) they have obtained all necessary approvals from the Institution to participate in the Renate & Hans Schleussner Award and their participation do not violate any duty owed to the Institution or any other third party, (e) if applicable, they will obtain the informed consent of the patients in accordance with applicable law, (f) the research project complies with all applicable health regulations, and (g) their participation in the Renate & Hans Schleussner Award and the exercise of the rights licensed by Biotest do not infringe any legal provisions, agreements, rights or assets of any third party. The Institution will be the exclusive owner of the economic rights of intellectual and industrial property over the research project. By participating in the Renate & Hans Schleussner Award, Biotest is granted a worldwide, non-exclusive, non-transferable (except to Biotest' group companies) royalty free license to use any and all results derived, directly or indirectly, from the research project for Biotest' internal research and development purposes. The awardee shall present any information, data and/or results derived from the research project only with the prior written consent of Biotest, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
7. Data Protection
Any personal data provided by the Participants will be processed in accordance with the Renate & Hans Schleussner Award.
8. Applicable Law and Jurisdiction
These T&Cs are governed by German law.
If any disputes arise from the interpretation and/or execution of the provisions regulated in these T&Cs, the parties will try to resolve these disputes amicably. If the dispute, controversy or difference cannot be amicably resolved, the parties shall submit the dispute, controversy or difference exclusively to the courts of the city of Frankfurt, Germany.
9. General
Participation in the Renate & Hans Schleussner Award implies full and complete acceptance of these T&Cs by each participant. Any statement to the contrary such as not agreeing to the T&Cs, will result in the exclusion of the participant. In this case as a result, Biotest will be released from fulfilling any obligations with respect to said participants.
It is hereby acknowledged that the award granted is not conditioned upon any promotion, prescription and/or use of any products commercialized by Biotest nor it is intended to influence the awardee and the institution to do so.
Biotest reserves the right to cancel the Renate & Hans Schleussner Award at any time on grounds of force majeure, lack of participation or for any other valid reason.
Biotest reserves the right to disqualify any Participant who infringes any of the provisions regulated in these T&Cs and/or any applicable regulation.
Biotest reserves the right to modify these T&Cs if any irregularity is detected that might influence the objectivity and transparency of the Renate & Hans Schleussner Award.