DKMS opens applications for 2026 John Hansen Research Grant in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy

The DKMS Stiftung Leben Spenden has announced the opening of applications for the next round of the DKMS John Hansen Research Grant. Up to four research projects led by young scientists worldwide will each receive up to €240,000 in funding over a three-year period. Applications for the 2026 grant can be submitted until 20 November 2025.

The grant supports projects that focus on haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cell therapy for haematological diseases. Since 2015, DKMS Stiftung Leben Spenden has provided funding to international scientists with a doctoral degree in medicine or natural sciences (MD, PhD or equivalent) awarded no more than 10 years ago. Areas of research include transplant immunology, approaches to treat complications following stem cell transplantation, donor selection, cell production, and diagnostic or therapeutic strategies.

Prof Dr Marcel van den Brink, Chair of the DKMS Medical Council, said: “With this grant, we are specifically supporting innovative research projects that will further improve treatment outcomes for blood cancer. This could provide an important springboard for early scientific careers and opens up opportunities for researchers to establish their own lines of research. By supporting young scientists, we are ensuring the future progress of blood cancer research.”

DKMS describes itself as more than the world’s largest stem cell donor database. The organisation includes the DKMS Stem Cell Bank, the Clinical Trials Unit, the Collaborative Biobank, and a HLA typing laboratory in Dresden. The DKMS Stem Cell Bank is the first facility to cryopreserve surplus adult stem cells and make them available for allogeneic transplants.

Through international support programmes, the non-profit organisation also works to expand access to blood stem cell transplants in low- and middle-income countries where healthcare systems do not cover the cost of treatment.