Víctor Grifols i Lucas Foundation - Grants for Research on Bioethics

Grants for Research on Bioethics (Víctor Grífols i Lucas Foundation)

You will receive 6,000 EUR to carry out a research project on bioethics over a period of one year. Bioethics refers to the ethical questions arising from medicine, biology and the life sciences, such as how patients can be treated fairly or where the boundaries of research should lie. The foundation awards six of these grants in each round. You will receive one third of the total amount upon award of the grant and the remainder upon completion of the project. The foundation, based in Barcelona, has been running this programme since 2000 and has already funded more than 100 projects.

Who can apply

• Your project: You are to propose a research project on any bioethical topic. It may be clinical, technical, theoretical or academic in nature, provided it has a clear ethical dimension.
• Field of study: Open to fields such as health, law, care, philosophy and education, whenever the project raises an ethical question.
• Solo or team: You can apply either on your own or as part of a team.
• Institution backing: The head of the institution where you wish to carry out the project must approve it in writing.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply.
• Language: You may submit your proposal in Catalan or Spanish.

How to apply

You must register on the Foundation’s website (the form will be made available in January 2026). You must submit a project description of between 5 and 10 pages in Catalan or Spanish, including a budget breakdown, a brief CV and a covering letter. You must also send a printed copy by post. The deadline is 31 May. A panel of experts in law, sociology, clinical ethics, philosophy and journalism will announce the results in early October. Please note: if you do not complete the project, you must repay any funds already received.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding scheme is very narrowly defined. Only six projects are selected per round; your project must have a genuine ethical dimension; and all documentation must be written in Catalan or Spanish. This severely limits the pool of applicants. If you have a well-founded bioethical proposal, are supported by your institution and can write in one of these two languages, your chances are good. A clear, well-reasoned project is more important than many years’ experience, as the programme also welcomes early-career researchers.