FAQ

A1: Eligible research projects are those that have direct relevance to T1D and explore translational immunology. This includes, but is not limited to: 

• Novel pathways of autoimmunity in T1D
• New approaches to early detection of individuals at risk of T1D
• Biomarker strategies, especially for prediction of T1D disease progression, and for stratification for clinical response to immunotherapy 
• Applications of artificial intelligence and/or machine learning in any of the above research topics

See Requirements page for further details on eligibility.

A2: Research grants are not eligible for:

• Research connected to any Sanofi product
• Studies for which extensive data is already published
• Comparative drug trials, randomized clinical trials, placebo-controlled trials or any studies requiring a drug supply, follow-ups to previous clinical studies that include treatment, or real-world evidence studies that include treatment
• Research projects for which the risk/benefit of any interventional treatment is considered uncertain, based on the scientific rationale, mechanism of action, and potential safety concerns
• Research projects that are already included in Investigator-Sponsored Studies by Sanofi and/or listed on www.clinicaltrials.gov. 

See Requirements page for further details on eligibility

A3: Not-for-profit organizations, such as universities and research institutes, are eligible to apply. The application should be signed by both the Principal Investigator and a Legal Representative (i.e., a representative from the legal department of the applicantˇs research institution), who cannot be identical. The Principal Investigator is the person responsible for the conduct of the research project and has permission from their Institution to apply for a grant. Grants are provided to appropriate institutions and are never awarded nor paid out to individuals.


See Requirements for further details on eligibility.

A4: Intellectual property (IP) rights for projects funded by the T1D Innovation Grant comply with Sanofi’s Medical Contribution guidelines. These research grants are structured to ensure Sanofi receives no direct return, meaning Sanofi has no claims to authorship or data.

Key IP and ownership terms include: 

• Ownership of deliverables: The grant recipient retains all IP rights to deliverables created during the program 
• Background IP: Both Sanofi and the recipient retain ownership of their respective pre-existing IP used in the project 
• Independent research: Sanofi does not control, influence, or hold authorship rights over the research 
• IP restrictions & compliance: Recipients may not use Sanofi's IP (such as logos) unless explicitly authorized, and must ensure the project does not infringe on any third-party IP rights 

For detailed terms, please review the Medical Contributions Application - Principles and Conditions

A5: Research projects that have already received funding from a separate grant program are eligible for funding via the T1D Innovation Grant Program. However, duplicate funding is not allowed. In other words, you may not apply for funding for budget items already covered by a different grant. In the Legal Terms and Conditions section, please see the information about Medical Contributions Application - Principles and Conditions and Medical Contributions Application - Approval Requirements.

A6: No, but once you have received the decision on your application, you will be able to apply with a different proposal in a subsequent application window. Further information on the application process can be found under the Application Process page.

A7: If the applicant is different from the PI, it is the PI's CV that needs to be uploaded during the application submission process. Please ensure you have this document ready when submitting your application.

A8: While a project may involve multiple investigators, only one should be designated as the main PI during the application submission process. This helps streamline communication and responsibility allocation throughout the grant period.

A9: There are no strict minimum or maximum timeframes, as project length should simply be reasonable and align with the nature, scope, and complexity of the proposed research. However, most funded projects typically span between 6 months and 3 years.

A1: Following initial submission of your application, your application must successfully pass a quality check and a signature step to advance to the external scientific expert panel for review. We recommend that you submit your application early, preferably ahead of the initial submission deadline to allow for these subsequent steps. 

Initial quality check (QC) 

All submissions will undergo an initial quality check review to ensure: all required information is complete, the application remains anonymized (where applicable), and the project meets the overall eligibility and exclusion criteria. 

• Notification of review outcome: You will be notified of the outcome of the QC review via email by Thursday 18 February 2027. We encourage you to view this status in the ‘My Application’ section of the website 
• Revisions (if required): If you are asked to revise your application, your revised submission must be completed by 15:00 CET on Thursday 25 February 2027; it will undergo a second QC check by Thursday 4 March 2027, and you will be notified of the outcome (pass or fail). If your application fails the second QC check, it cannot proceed any further. 

E-Signatures 

Once your application passes the quality check, it will be routed via Adobe Sign to the Principal Investigator and Legal Representative designated in your submission. 

• Signature Deadline: All e-signatures must be completed by 15:00 CET on Thursday 11 March 2027 

Application outcome 

Following the panel's scientific evaluation, you will be notified via email of the final decision regarding your grant submission on or before Friday 11 June 2027.

A2: After communication of success in the process, institutions will be required to sign a contract and apply for ethical / IRB +/- required regulatory approvals. It is important to note that your institution must also submit an invoice to trigger transfer of grant funds.

A3: Successful candidates whose proposal is selected for funding support and who successfully complete an internal due diligence check, by Sanofi on the iEnvision platform, will be expected to sign a contract which memorializes the terms and conditions specified at the beginning of the grant application process. An online meeting will be arranged with candidates whose proposal is selected to explain the iENVISION process, associated documentation required, and timeline. 

Grant recipients will be asked to provide progress reports and a final report to track the advancement of their research. Publication in a peer-reviewed journal is highly encouraged to share your valuable findings with the scientific community. The investigators may be invited to speak at Sanofi events. Successful applicants will be invited to record a virtual presentation to be shown at the grant award ceremony provisionally scheduled to take place at the Immunology of Diabetes Society (IDS) Congress 2027, New York, USA.

A4: Applications submitted during the 4 January to 15:00 CET on 11 February 2027 window will undergo the review process following the closing of the application period. More information is available under the Application Process page.

A5: Once your application has passed the signatory stage and entered the review process, it cannot usually be edited or withdrawn. However, in special circumstances, you may contact us for assistance at info@t1dinnovgrant.com.

A1: Researchers can apply for a grant of up to €140,000 for each research project. The total available funding across all successful research grants is €700,000.

A2: For detailed information on what to include in the Budget and Materials sections, please refer to the information provided in the Application Guide. This will provide you with a comprehensive list of all necessary items and information needed for these sections of your application.

A3: The available funding of up to €140,000 per research project can cover both direct and indirect (overhead) costs. Whilst there isn’t a formal upper limit to the percentage of indirect costs covered, indirect costs should be reasonable and align with the overhead policy of the Principal Investigator research institution. 

Details of the overhead cost should be clearly outlined with the Budget Template submitted as part of the application. 

Overhead components that may be eligible for funding include: 

• Administrative support: Administrative staffing related to the project management and or/ clerical support for the research/project 
• Facility-related costs: Utilities (electricity, heating, water), building maintenance related to research spaces, and space costs for conducting the research 
• Organizational infrastructure: IT support and services, library services and resources, and institutional management costs 
• Compliance and quality assurance: Ethics committee fees, regulatory authorities' fees, and quality assurance activities fees 

Excluded overhead costs cover but not limited to: capital equipment purchases, equipment maintenance, Office supplies and insurance policy subscriptions.

A4: The overhead policy refers to the guidelines on how additional expenses beyond the direct costs of research, such as administrative costs and facilities maintenance, are handled. This document should be in PDF format, on the institution's letterhead, and signed by a legal representative of the research center. It must be provided in English. If the original document is in another language, the applicant should provide a translation of the sections related to the overhead policy. The overhead percentage stated in this document should match the percentage reported in the Budget File.

A5: After an applicant is notified that their Grant proposal has been selected by the Expert Review panel, the applicant must submit their materials to the iENVISION platform [link TBC] – this is to facilitate (i) due diligence by Sanofi, (ii) implementation of a letter of agreement (LOA), and (iii) processing of their approved application and release/payment of the Grant funds by Sanofi for the proposed research. These final steps might take at least 3 months to finalize once the applicant has submitted their materials to the iENVISION platform. Therefore, we encourage an applicant to submit their proposal to iENVISION without delay. Payment of funds in installments is country- and contract-dependent, and the payments are not linked to research-project milestones. Please note that an applicant’s institution must submit an invoice to trigger transfer of funds.

A1: The applicable retention period is 3 years for your registration in our database and 5 years for the processing of your personal data. Collected personal data will be removed at the end of the retention period.

A2: You have the option to delete your account and all associated personal data in the reserved area of your account settings. If unused, user accounts will be deactivated and all associated data deleted after 30 months from last access date. See the Privacy policy for further information on data retention.

A3: Your application will remain securely saved in your profile. Once the website resumes accepting applications, you will be able to submit it.

A4: We appreciate your understanding that all applications must be submitted through our online platform for consistency and fairness. Unfortunately, we cannot accept revised applications via email. However, you will have the opportunity to resubmit your revised application on the platform in the next grant application opening. Please note that the application-window opening at 09:00 CET on 4 January 2027 is the second for the T1D Innovation Grant Program and this program is intended be maintained in future years.

A5: If you have further questions, please contact us by email at info@t1dinnovgrant.com. 
You can also find our contact form on the Contact Us page.