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Wissenschaft
Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung awards €400,000 each to clinician-researchers to help them resume their clinical and research work
Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe, 11 February 2026 – On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) will highlight its Else Kröner Clinician Scientist Return-to-Work Grant for clinician-researchers. The EKFS is supporting three clinician-researchers at the university hospitals in Tübingen and Essen to resume their clinical and research work after a family-related career break. The three approved projects in pediatrics, neonatology, and cardiology will each be funded for a period of 36 months with up to €400,000. The aim of the funding is to help researchers continue their clinical and research careers and to sustainably strengthen excellent research in key medical disciplines.
The Else Kröner Clinician Scientist Return-to-Work Grant is intended for physicians with a doctoral or postdoctoral qualification who have significantly reduced their clinical and research work during an extended family-related break and who wish to return by 1 July 2026 to work at least 80% of full time. The project requires recipients to dedicate at least half of their working time to research.
“We support highly qualified physicians in resuming their previous level of research after a family related career break,” says Anne Asschenfeldt, who is responsible for this funding line at the EKFS. “Flexible support structures are often key to securing excellent clinical research over the long term.”
The funding can be used flexibly, for example for personnel and material costs, research stays, methodology courses, or conferences. The 2025 call for proposals approved three projects covering a broad range of disciplines from pediatric metabolic medicine and cardiology to neonatology. Continuing clinical and research work after family-related breaks requires targeted support.
Interactions between lipidomics and gut microbiota metabolites in lipid-rich coronary plaques. PD Dr. Iryna Dykun, Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Essen
Atherosclerosis is a complex, degenerative disease that can lead to the development of coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction. Lipid-rich deposits, known as plaques, play a central clinical role, as they are often covered by only a thin fibrous cap and contain numerous inflammatory cells. This project examines factors that influence the development of such high-risk plaques. It focuses on the interplay of novel, under-researched areas of research affecting risk, including lipidomics – the large-scale study of lipids and related proteins in blood and tissues – and metabolic products of the gut microbiome. The goal is to analyze patient data to gain insights into healthy individuals and use this knowledge to develop new strategies for preventing and treating cardiovascular disease. Dr. Dykun is a mother of two. After the birth of her second child, she took family leave, and the funding will now allow her to resume and expand her research. “The return-to-work grant allows me to continue my research and further investigate the mechanisms underlying the development and prevention of cardiovascular disease,” explains Dr. Dykun.
Biomarker-based diagnostic tests and functional validation of therapeutic targets in MLD – from multi-omics analysis to patient-derived cell models. Dr. Lucia Laugwitz, Department of Pediatrics III – Neuropediatrics, General Pediatrics, Diabetology, Endocrinology, Social Pediatrics, Children’s and Adolescent Hospital, University Hospital Tübingen
Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a rare, rapidly progressing disorder of the developing nervous system in children. Gene therapy can only slow or halt the progression of the disease if given very early. Dr. Laugwitz’s project aims to use reliable molecular biomarkers to pinpoint the optimal timing of treatment and to assess therapeutic success. The approach analyzes molecular data from children with MLD before and after gene therapy. It also employs patient-derived cell models to study disease mechanisms and potential adjunct therapies. After family-related breaks due to the birth of her three children, Dr. Laugwitz can now continue her research with renewed energy, thanks to EKFS funding. “The last few years have been intense, and I am pleased to continue my research with renewed focus and independence in an outstanding research environment,” explains Dr. Laugwitz. “The funding will enable me to systematically and sustainably translate findings from rare disease research into clinically relevant projects,” she explains.
Optimizing adaptation in preterm and full-term infants. Prof. Dr. Laila Springer, Department of Pediatrics IV – Neonatology, Neonatal Intensive Care, Children’s and Adolescent Hospital, University Hospital Tübingen
After birth, the newborn is no longer connected to the mother via the umbilical cord and must start breathing on its own. Very small preterm infants require respiratory support that is both effective and gentle on their fragile lungs. For these infants, rapid ventilation of the still immature and delicate lungs is essential. Modern ventilators can synchronize with the infant’s own breathing, providing gentler and more effective support. Prof. Dr. Springer’s project examines whether synchronized ventilation improves lung aeration in the critical early adaptation phase of newborns. The project also employs innovative imaging techniques that, for the first time, make lung aeration visible in real time. After a family-related break in her research following the birth of her third child, the return-to-work grant will allow Prof. Dr. Springer to continue to rigorously pursue this clinically important research project. “I think it’s wonderful that funding like this exists. It will help me pick right up where I left off and allow me to actively pursue my goals and vision on how to improve the start of life in newborns,” says Prof. Dr. Springer.
Anne Asschenfeldt
laufende Projektförderung und Stipendien (wissenschaftliche Förderung)
a.asschenfeldt@ekfs.de
+49 (0)6172 8975-14
https://ekfs.de/en/current-topics/press/return-work-grant-after-parental-leave-t...
Else Kröner Clinician Scientist Return-to-Work Grant for clinician-researchers
Source: EKFS
Copyright: EKFS
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